Couldn't be Happier
by ElegantlyMikey
Summary: Glinda finds herself restoring not only Oz, but her hope of love and all that comes with it. Comments and reviews appreciated :
1. Picking up the Pieces

Picking up the Pieces

The little girl ran to her room and slammed the door. Her heart was shattered like a glass that had been thrown over a balcony only to be divided into pieces by the harsh ground. With her face buried in her pillow, she began to bellow. Her body shook violently as it expelled her disappointment. Not long after the heartbroken girl had retreated to her room, she sat up to see that she was not alone. Her Ama was looking on from across the room. Even though she was not close, the little girl could feel empathy from the older woman. She ran to where Ama Clutch was seated and jumped up in her lap. Ama stroked her cheek gently while kissing the top of her head, she said, "Hush now, my little Galinda. Ama is here. Everything is okay." Galinda felt her heartbeat returning to normal, and she no longer felt the heavy rock in her chest. Ama's sweet comfort was enough to help Galinda forget about her sorrows, but where was Ama now?

She was pushing up daisies, and little Galinda, now Glinda, had no one to console her. If ever there was a time that Glinda needed some comfort, it was now. Elphie had melted, yes melted, as if she were a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream lying out in the blistering sun. Her friend, the only true friend she had ever had, was gone. Glinda was deserted by nearly everyone she knew. Fiyero had abandoned her, to follow his jade painted love to the grave and Glinda was left forlorn.

Still, she vowed to keep on going, no matter what the cost. She was the new ruler of Oz; Glinda the Good would be calling all of the shots. So, as new ruler of Oz, she demanded that everyone be given back their rights, even Animals. She did that in memory of dear Doctor Dillamond, the goat who could never get her name right, and in honor of whom she changed her name. Glinda would be the best ruler there ever was. In fact, an entire year had quickly passed since Elphie had vanished from this earth. Glinda had begun the reconstruction of Oz, but something more important had been reconstructed within Glinda, her heart.

It had happened so briskly, that Glinda had not noticed at first. He was smart, kind, and always helped out where he was needed. He was not at all the type of guy that Glinda usually fell for. He was an annoyance at first, when he would accidentally stumble into her presence, but she eventually grew to like him. His rich chestnut hair, which hung closely to the bridge of his nose, along with his illuminating smile, never failed to make Glinda long to kiss him.

He adored her, which was always a plus, and he showered her with love. Glinda found that she thought about him constantly. When she was in bed, she wondered what Chanter was doing at that very moment. Was he dreaming of her? She could only hope that something would come of this, and soon.


	2. Fanfare and Wedding Glitz

Fanfare and Wedding Glitz

She found it silly how much she looked forward to being close to him. During meetings of the Council of Oz, she couldn't remember any of the discussions because, instead of listening, she was thinking about Chanter. He was lofty, and when they stood side by side, her tiny body next to his very tall body, it was quite a sight. They grew so close that it got to the point that Glinda couldn't imagine even a second going by without Chanter in it.

They had been together for about five months when Chanter asked her to be his wife. At first, she had wanted to say no. Although she loved him, he was only an apprentice. How could the ruler of Oz marry someone like that? Her old, snobby, head tilted to the sky attitude began to surface, but then she realized that she could not let him go. No, she had lost too many people that meant a lot to her and she wasn't about to loose anyone else.

So, when she had accepted, she softly kissed Chanter on his cheek. He smiled, and thanked her for making him the happiest man on the earth. All of Oz threw a party in her honor and there was even a parade. Glinda giggled when she saw Chanter all dressed up. He held her tight as they passed by the citizens of Oz, and it was exactly how she had pictured it. This time, she could truly profess that she was happy and not have it be a lie.

The wedding was perfect and Glinda looked stunning in her gown. No one could avert their eyes from the woman with the crown. Her golden ringlets were cascading over her shoulders, and her bodice was decorated with pearls. She felt her chest tighten when she saw how Chanter couldn't take his eyes off of her.

She had cried when she danced with her father and he said he was proud of all that she had accomplished. She had also laughed at Chanter when he tried to twirl her around but ended up almost tripping. As the crowd began to dwindle, Chanter joined the other men in the hall for a drink. Glinda was left alone at the table with her mother. The woman, who wore her age like a beautiful diamond pendant, still had much youth and Glinda realized that she was elegant in her own way.

Glinda smiled to herself as she saw a tear fall from her mother's eye and slowly run down her cheek. "Momsy?" Glinda said, breaking the silence between the two, a silence that had always been between them, ever since Glinda was a little girl. For you see, Ama Clutch had basically raised Glinda because her parents were always attending social events that young girls were not invited to. So, as her mother looked at her, Glinda did something that shocked her mother, she hugged her tight, and kissed the top of her head, All the while saying, "Don't worry Momsy, I am going to be okay. I have Chanter to take care of me."

Glinda heard footsteps behind her, and she felt someone grasp her shoulders. She looked up at her husband, the only man who had ever truly loved her, and her heart felt whole. For the first time since everything in Glinda's life had changed, she was complete. She stood on her tiptoes and met his lips, she held him for a long time, not wanting the moment to end. She realized now, that she never wanted to leave him, for if this was love, it was better than anything else she could imagine.

They left the party to go enjoy their honeymoon. They were headed to a secluded spot, right outside of the Emerald City. Glinda was excited and could not wait to be with her husband. She imagined that this night would be special, and she wanted to cherish it. She found herself being lifted off of her feet as Chanter picked her up and carried her over the threshold. Glinda wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She had no idea that she was going to feel so passionate, but when she kissed him, her body caught fire burning with an intensity that could only be suppressed by his lips.


	3. My Little Shadow

My Little Shadow

In the morning, after they had consummated their love, Glinda woke up to find that Chanter was smiling over at her.

"Good morning my beautiful bride. Did you sleep alright?" Chanter cooed as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Sure did, like a baby." Glinda said.

"I love the fact that I get to wake up and see you staring back at me. You have no idea how many nights went by that I imagined what it would be like to wake up next to you. Believe me, my imaginings weren't half as good as this." He said as he ran his hand down her side and finally rested it on her hip.

She smiled, and pulled him close to her. So close that their bodies were like one. It was unclear where one body started and the other ended.

Glinda felt his skin against her skin and he accidently tickled her when he leaned over her to caress her cheek. She let out a soft giggle, and Chanter began to tickle her more because he loved the sound of her laugh.

Their agenda for the day was simple, enjoy their first day of marriage as much and as often as possible, because in two days, they would return to the busyness of the Emerald City. Glinda found herself not wanting to leave Chanter's side for even a moment.

When he was out walking along the lake, she came along. He found it amusing, and began calling her his little shadow.

It became a game between them, when he would go somewhere, he would call out, "Where oh where is my little shadow. I don't know how I will get along without her." Then Glinda would reply, "I'm here dear, right in front of you. Look down and you'll see me."

After lunch, they walked to the lake and sat by the water. The water dared to reach their feet, as the wind began to pick up speed.

The sky grew darker and Glinda started to get cold. Chanter pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her body.

Chanter was her husband and she loved him so much, but in reality, she didn't really know anything about him. She knew that he had grown up in the outskirts of the Quadling Country, and that he had come to Oz in order to study under the Wizard. He ended up being an apprentice, well more like an assistant, but he never made it to the Wizard. Thank goodness.

Other than that, she really didn't know much about him. So, she decided to ask, "Chanter, what was your life like before you met me?" He chuckled a bit, and then said, "Well, I was a mischievous young thing, who loved causing chaos. I used to run through the house naked just to embarrass my sister and her friends."

She laughed at the image of little Chanter running around naked and his sister screaming in terror. "I still have a habit of running around unclothed every once in a while." He teased.

"Well, I can bet if you did that now, I'm sure I wouldn't protest." She flirted. He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck, which made Glinda giggle.

Suddenly, a huge raindrop fell right on Glinda's nose, startling her. Before she had a chance to say anything, it began to pour. She ran to the house and Chanter followed closely behind.

Once inside, they stripped off all of their wet clothes, and smiled at the fact that they were standing naked out in the open. They went to the couch and wrapped up in blankets to get warm.

His muscular body next to hers felt so right, and he began kissing her shoulder. His kisses left her wanting more.

She wanted him to pull her close, and cover her lips with his, but instead he stopped. "Why are you stopping?" Glinda queried, "that felt amazing." He reached his hand up and stroked her cheek.

"Sorry, I just have something on my mind." Chanter sighed, "Glinda, do you want to have children?"

Glinda definitely wasn't expecting him to ask her that, and the question got her thinking. Did she want children? She certainly had thought about it before, but that was before she had become the ruler of Oz. Things were different now.

So, she answered back before she had a chance to ponder the question, "Maybe. I mean I used to, but now that I have such a demanding job, is it even possible?" At the last thing she said, he seemed to fall away from her. Spiraling down into a chasm of silence.

For a very long time, it was quiet. No one said anything, the only noise, although it couldn't be heard out loud, was coming from their minds racing about their future and whether or not it would include children.

Glinda felt Chanter's hands move to her bare stomach, and she began to wake from her thoughts. He faced her towards him, so that their faces were only inches apart. His breath landed on her lips, warming them from inside out.

His mahogany eyes seemed distant, as she softly ran her finger across his lips. Instead of kissing her, he spoke, "Sweetheart, I think you would be a great mother. From the moment I knew that I loved you, I knew that you would be an excellent mother one day. I know you're overwhelmed, but I think when the time is right, and we'll now when it's right, we'll have some children of our own."

He spoke with compassion; did he really think that she, Glinda, would make a great mom?

But she was selfish, and right now, she wanted him all to herself. She didn't want to share him with a baby, that was for sure.

But she couldn't help but to imagine what it would be like. "I think maybe, one day, we could." She said simply. And with that, he smiled.

They remained on the couch and fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of raindrops crashing into the roof. Glinda did not dream, for there was no need to, she already had everything she wanted.

When she awoke, Chanter was fixing dinner. She stood to join him, forgetting that she was still unclothed and blushed when she remembered. He quickly turned to look at her, as she gathered the sheets around her small frame.

He raised an eyebrow flirtatiously, to which she replied, "Not now, food first." He laughed.

After a dinner of roast fowl, and boiled potatoes, Glinda sat looking out the window. It was dark outside, and that made Glinda fully aware that the last day of their honeymoon had vanished.

They went outside to get some fresh air. The crickets were chirping noisily, and they even spotted a family of dear drinking from the lake. The baby was next to his mother, and he cautiously tasted the water. They looked so peaceful and happy.

Chanter picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He told her he loved her, and placed a trail of gentle kisses up the side of her neck.

She smiled, and said, "Chanter, let's go back inside. There's something I want to do." He smirked at her and said, "Sure, as long as it's fun."

She giggled and replied, "Oh, I'm sure you will enjoy it."

The last night of their honeymoon passed by rapidly, and the next morning, it was time to leave. As they were packing up their belongings in the carriage in order to return to Oz, Glinda looked back over her shoulder.

She regretted the fact that they would not be alone anymore. She knew that as soon as she returned, she would be bombarded by tons of responsibilities.

Chanter came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. His body smelled of the cool lake in which they had both bathed in that morning. "Come on sweetheart, we have to get going." He whispered into her ear, and then she turned to him, kissing him one last time before they got into the carriage.

This kiss was brief, but she held on to the feeling for a long time after words.


	4. Gates of Destiny

**Authors Note**: Italics indicate a flashback. Just thought I'd clear up any possible confusion.

Gates of Destiny

_Sweat slowly dripped from his brow as he came to a halt in the middle of the road. The vision that was in front of him symbolized a way to intertwine with his upcoming destiny._

_He felt a pit develop within his stomach as his nervousness began to make him uncomfortable. He had travelled mostly on foot for two weeks and four days, in order to reach this green spectacle._

_The traveler only stopped to sleep briefly and to nibble off of the three loaves bread his mother had packed for him._

_Now that he had reached the city, he prepared to meet the all mighty Wizard. He had no idea what he was going to say to him, but he knew that his strikingly apparent ambition would be enough to at least get him inside the palace._

_His hair was brushed, and he changed out of his rugged journey worn clothes, so that he looked pretty decent._

_His mother had always told him, "One must look presentable in order to persuade others to listen, only then can ideas be heard." So, looking as presentable as possible, he walked up to the gatekeeper._

_"Hello dear sir, I am here to work with the Wizard." The man at the gate, stared at him, yet didn't reply, "Um, excuse me sir, but I'm here to see the Wizard."_

_The man looked at him, as if he were speaking another language, "Sorry son, the Wizard has been vanished, never to be seen again."_

_Could this be true? Had he traveled in vain? He felt his heart quickening and the blood throbbing in his head, he was beginning to loose himself._

_"Well, in that case," he continued on, trying to hold on to his last bit of determination, "I would like to speak to the man who has taken his place."_

_At that, the guard chuckled. He pointed him in the direction, and the man boldly entered into the city._

_All around him, people bustled about with their various tasks awaiting completion. He was surprised at the elaborate dress that they wore, and became aware that he stuck out in his drab country garb. He felt himself blush from embarrassment._

_He would never forget this point in time. This point in time was an important milestone for one reason, and one reason only._

_This reason was gorgeous, elegant, and surprisingly small in size. This reason made him smile uncontrollably, and it was evident that it was worthy of every ounce of his attention._

_The bubbly blonde quickly captured his eye, and when he went to introduce himself, he clumsily stepped on her foot._

_"Ooh!" She squealed from the sharp pain. He quickly apologized, "Excuse me, uh," he stopped, giving her a chance to say her name, but she didn't give it to him. Instead, he gave her his, "I'm Chanter, and I'm here to see the man in charge." She laughed, "Well, you're looking at him." She said while pointing to herself for added emphasis._

_Chanter looked surprised to find out that this petite woman was the ruler of Oz, after all, she was a woman and she was beautiful._

_She was decked out in pink, with lace and heels. He didn't know how she walked, let alone ruled an entire land, wearing such shoes._

_He realized that he was staring and quickly averted his eyes, hoping that she hadn't noticed. It was too late, "Ahem." She cleared her throat, "well, Sir Chanter, do you have business with the ruler of Oz?" He tried to reply, but found it hard to retrieve his words, so he nodded instead._

_"Would you care to tell me what that business is?" she asked, with her impatience becoming apparent in her tone, "Well, I was hoping to work with the Wizard, you know, to learn from him."_

_"Hm," she thought to herself, "well, if you want to see how a real leader works, you can take a job with me. I've been in need of some extra help." With that, she pivoted on her stiletto heels and walked out of the room._

Chanter vividly recalled that day, because it was the day he had met Glinda. He had felt something for her from the moment he saw her standing in the hall, and it had only developed since then.

_They began spending a lot of time together, working of course. Until one day, something was different. When she looked at him, her eyes sparkled with indescribable beauty. They found it easier to communicate, and they were finding that they understood each other_.

Glinda had married Chanter, in true fairy tale fashion. They seemed to have a perfect relationship, but little did they know, something was brewing inside of one of them. It was something that would dare to split them apart.

In three months since the couple had returned from their honeymoon, Chanter had begun to feel neglected. He tried not to, but he couldn't help it. Every moment, Glinda was busy, making decisions and being treated like a queen, while he was left in the dark.

She was making crucial decisions in meetings concerning the importance of citizen rights and fairness to everyone no matter what species. Chanter sat silently at her side. He did not have the right to express his opinions, for he had no authority.

What a man he was, watching his wife make important decisions all the while he stood there as useless as a sock without it's match.

He tried to ignore his feelings, but it was becoming more and more difficult with each passing day. He found himself bitter whenever he had to hear her address her subjects. Every time this feeling begin to rise from within him, he was also overcome with guilt. How come he couldn't just be happy for her? What kind of husband hated his wife because of her success?


	5. If Only

If Only

Glinda arrived home to find she was alone. Chanter had gone out and she was left to occupy herself. She wished that he was around because she wanted to talk to someone.

Chanter had been distant lately and the last time they had been together intimately was a couple of weeks before. She missed being held tight in his arms and the taste of his lips. The last time they were together was fierce and they had been content with the joining of their bodies despite their increasing problems.

Lately though, he was acting strange and it scared Glinda. Maybe he had found another woman, a woman who was not as busy or as powerful. Glinda fought hard not to think on this scenario. She couldn't lie to herself; she knew that Chanter found it hard to deal with her current position.

She also knew that she didn't always want to be the ruler of Oz. After all, it had been practically thrust upon her at the last minute. She wanted to be able to enjoy married life. If being the ruler of Oz meant that she had to sacrifice happiness and love, then she would gladly give up the title.

Why couldn't he just be happy for her? She knew of other women, less important than her but still important nonetheless, that had supportive husbands. Yet her husband was getting bitterer by each passing day and breaking her heart with his obvious disdain.

Glinda sat on their bed feeling as if she were about to burst into tears. She began to recall the nights spent with Elphaba in the room they shared. Although they wouldn't have admitted it to anyone else at Shiz, they were best friends.

While at Shiz, Glinda would wake up in the middle of the night and find that Elphaba was awake as well. They would talk almost all night about the current situations of things, and of course, about love.

Glinda found her heart aching for the green girl who had become like her sister. If only things had turned out differently. If only.

If only Elphie had lived, Glinda would feel more confident right now. It seemed as if part of Glinda had melted along with her friend.

The door slammed shut, waking Glinda from her reminiscent state and causing her to let out a small scream. She saw Chanter stumble into the room and watched as he nearly smacked into the wall.

"Where have you been?" She questioned, trying to keep her cool.

"Why do ya care where I been? It doesn't matter. Nothing I do matters to you and your fancy little people." He was obviously drunk, something new to the both of them.

"Oh really? Nothing you do matters to me?" She said almost mocking his slurred speech.

"No, I sit beside you day out and out in." He was too drunk to even put together a coherent sentence, and if Glinda wouldn't have been so mad at him, she would have laughed.

"Chanter, I don't know what you want me to do. I have a job and the job that I have is to rule Oz. Now, that job comes with responsibilities. These responsibilities come with sacrifices. And some sacrifices are going to be passed on to you."

She was proud of her explanation, but he obviously wasn't impressed. He had passed out on the couch with his mouth agape and eyes half open.

She shook her head angrily and spoke aloud to herself, "The one time I make a good point in a fight and he falls asleep. So typical! What did I say again? I better write it down. No need to let such prolific words go to waste."

She left him on the couch to sleep of his alcoholic influences. Meanwhile, she lay in bed trying to turn off her mind. She wasn't having much success.

What was going to happen to them? They weren't even a year into their marriage and it was looking as if they were headed for the end.

Glinda had not imagined that being a wife was going to be this difficult, but then again, she was no ordinary wife. She was the ruler of Oz. Everything that made her unique stemmed from the fact that she was the leader of a group of people and her problems seemed to originate from that too.

She tried to close her eyes, but they wouldn't shut. Insomnia was a beast, and right now it was attacking Glinda ferociously.

The stillness was driving her insane; so much so that she decided to get up out of bed. She put on her robe and walked out onto the balcony. Below her, the world was still. She curled up in the rocking chair, and rested her head on her hand.

She felt as if she was the only person awake in the whole city. Humming made the silence bearable. The tune was soft. It was an old song that Ama Clutch used to sing to her when she was a little girl.

It was hard for Glinda to recall the words, but she did remember a few, "Hush little girl, everything is alright. Hush little girl, don't wake in the night. Sweet thoughts will come, to you as you dream. Hush little girl, troubles aren't as bad as they seem."

The lullaby did its job by calming her mind and lulling her into sleep. In the morning she awoke to a horrible bout of nausea. Her throat stung, and she felt her stomach bubbling. She rushed to the bathroom to accommodate the impending and unfortunate expelling of food.

She barely made it to the receptacle. Her body heaved, causing a cleansing that she had not wanted, but had welcomed once it was over.

Over the past few days, she had not been feeling well. She felt sick to her stomach, mostly in the mornings, and found herself extremely tired. At first she had blamed it on her work schedule. Then she had blamed it on the situation with Chanter, but now she was beginning to think it was something else all together. This something else terrified her.

Could she be? No, it wasn't possible. She had been careful to take all of the necessary precautions. Then again, there was that night a couple of weeks ago. Oh sweet Oz! She fell to her knees, overcome by the reality of her current dismal situation.

She had to find out if her presumption was right. So, she dressed quickly and headed to visit the midwife.

Madam Aldo resided in a small cottage about forty-five minutes away from the palace. Glinda had taken a carriage, and the whole time she was traveling she felt the need to pinch herself to make sure that she was awake. She was so tense that her jaw ached from clamping it shut. If she was indeed pregnant, would she be willing to face the consequences?

The carriage came to a halt abruptly, almost catapulting Glinda from her seat. She entered into the quaint abode, and brushed back a spider web that had attached to her arm. The woman was crouched over the fire tending to a pot. Glinda heard someone squeal then turned to see a woman laying on a bed. She was swollen with child and was screeching like a wild animal.

Glinda watched as Madam Aldo found her way to the end of the bed. She was quiet and calm as she instructed the woman to prop up her legs. Glinda was about to speak when the midwife called her over.

She wasn't sure that she wanted to get too close to the event that was about to occur, but the look on the woman's face made it hard not to comply.

"Go to the side of the bed and hold her hand." Aldo instructed as she lowered her hands closer to the woman. The woman lifted her back off of the bed and made a sound that Glinda could only

compare to growling, for she had never heard anyone make that kind of noise before.

It was awkward being in the tiny room holding a stranger's hand, while that same stranger was half naked before her. The woman's round inhabited belly contorted as the she squeezed Glinda's hand.

"Okay Gael, when you feel the next contraction, bare down and push as hard as you can." Aldo instructed.

It was only seconds later that the woman was constricting Glinda's hand and screeching from the pain. Glinda was afraid mostly because the woman was in such agony, but also because she was beginning to lose the feeling in her fingers.

Then something wonderful happened. With one last shout, Aldo reached out her hands. A baby appeared and began to wail. Glinda couldn't believe it, out of all that agony came a beautiful baby.

The woman joined her baby in the crying, and held out her arms as Aldo placed the little creature with its mother.

Glinda found that she was nauseous again, and rushed outside the door. This time was more painful because she no longer had any food to dispel. Aldo witnessed this and came up to her.

"Well, Honorable Glinda the Good, did you come to tell me that I should be expecting to have you on that bed in a matter of months?" She chuckled, causing the short graying ringlets on her head to bounce.

"Wha, what do you mean?" Glinda managed to say despite the horrible feeling caused by her dry heaves.

"Well, it seems as though you have morning sickness. Unless you just have a weak stomach and couldn't stand the site of the afterbirth."

"No, I have been sick in the mornings lately. That's actually why I'm here. Madam Aldo, do you have a way to tell if I'm pregnant or not?"

Madam Aldo smiled, "Dear, from the moment you walked into my cottage I knew. Your skin is glowing and I just have this incredible ability to sense when a woman is carrying a baby." She placed her hands on Glinda's flat belly, "you're not too far along. I would say no more than two weeks."

Glinda felt her heart drop. With such accuracy, there was no denying the fact.

She burst into tears and collapsed in Aldo's arms.

"Well, I never would have expected this from you. I was expecting happy tears and a huge smile." Aldo said as she cradled a crying Glinda.

"I can't have a baby right now." Glinda sobbed, "there's no way that I can do it. My husband is not speaking to me and I barely have time to sleep, let alone take care of another living thing!" Glinda was shouting, but she couldn't help it. She was falling apart, well, more like unraveling.

"Well, I do have a solution." Aldo cooed, "It's an elixir. I usually find myself providing it to young girls who have had an unfortunate pregnancy out of the bonds of marriage. It takes care of the problem, and you will be back to work the next day."

Could it be true? A solution to her problem that would only take a day to recover from? Glinda looked up through tear filled eyes.

"Are there any side effects?"

"Oh, well there are some really horrible cramps for about an hour, but other than that, no. You'll be worry free after only one dose. Hold on a second, and I'll go fetch a bottle for you."

Glinda found her heartbeat had slowed back down to a normal pace and that she was no longer crying. Of course there was a magical elixir to cure pregnancy, why hadn't she thought about it before?

Aldo returned with a glass bottle filled with a red liquid. The bottle felt heavy in her hands when Aldo handed it to her.

"Okay, go home and drink the whole bottle. Then lie down and place a hot rag on your abdomen. If your husband asks what you're doing, just inform him that it's your monthly curse, and I'm sure he'll leave you alone."

Glinda hugged Aldo, "Thank you so much. And, please, don't mention a word of this to anyone."

Aldo smiled, "Oh dear, I never do. It's part of the midwife's code. Never speak of what you hear."

Glinda heard the newly born child begin to cry as she walked away, and felt relieved that she wouldn't be hearing that sound in her home anytime soon.

Inside the carriage, she decided she would go ahead and take the elixir. She slowly unscrewed the top, "Sorry about this," she said as she raised the bottle to her lips.


	6. Let Things Go

Let Things Go

Chanter awoke to a hammering headache that was no doubt the direct result of a late night spent drinking. He hung halfway off of the couch and his right arm was completely numb.

Going to the pub had seemed such a good idea last night when he decided he was going to drown his problems in the bottom of a glass of ale. Now this morning, about fifteen glasses of ale later, his problems still floated on a sea of nausea and despair.

Last night, he had arrived at the Dead End Pub. He had held his grudges tightly in one hand and a glass of ale in the other.

He sat next to an elderly man with a grubby exterior and a glum expression. The man sat quietly staring at his glass but never taking a sip from it. Sensing that he was being watched, the man looked over at Chanter. The old man cracked a nearly toothless grin.

"Woman troubles?" He queried.

"You have no idea." Chanter responded, and then took a small sip of his bitter beverage.

The old man chuckled, "Boy, you are young. You need to learn to let things go, because if you don't, you'll end up just like me. Believe me; you don't want that to happen. I'm old, alone, and no one cares to speak to me anymore. That's no way for anyone to live."

The man stood from the stool and left his undisturbed drink.

"Crazy old man. Doesn't know what he's talking about. Some things cannot be let go. Some things must be dealt with. These things must not be allowed to go on making people suffer from factors they cannot control."

Chanter downed the rest of the ale and slammed the empty glass on the bar.

His mind felt lighter already and he welcomed the sensation that his cares were slipping away. He continued ordering drinks until he had lost track of time and quantity.

Chanter had come home to find that Glinda was very upset, but he was so out of it that he had not heard a word she said.

He didn't remember much about last night, but he did remember what Glinda's face had looked like.

When he recalled the look on her face, though it was a bit fuzzy because of the heavy influence, it broke his heart. Her soft blue eyes were clouded and her lips were pursed with anger. He hated to think of her being upset. Glinda was usually such a happy person and he was ruining her with his dissatisfaction.

He stood to his feet and stumbled into the bathroom. He felt as if he was going to vomit, but instead, fell to his knees. Tears sprung from his eyes and he was ashamed. He was ashamed because of his current behavior. He was no where near the man he wanted to be, instead of acting on his love for Glinda, he was acting out of jealousy.

This jealousy had sprouted, unbeknownst to him, the very moment he had fallen in love with Glinda. Ever since, it had percolated within him and recently it had begun to spew out onto those around him.

Chanter gathered his composure and avoided looking at himself in the mirror as he rose from the floor. He didn't have to see his reflection; he already knew how horrible he must have looked. The fog lifted from his mind and he was sobered by the thought of seeking forgiveness from Glinda. The old man was right, some things need to be let go.

He ran to their bedroom and was disappointed to find that she was not there. The silk sheets were twisted and pillows were recklessly abandoned on the floor. A glass of water sat on the vanity and Glinda's night gown clung to the chair.

Chanter picked up the gown and held it to his cheek. It still smelled like Glinda, sugary sweet with a hint of lavender.

Where could she be? She wasn't needed in the council of Oz today, so she should have been there. He really messed up things this time, but there was only one question. Was it too late to repair their shattered relationship?

Meanwhile in the carriage, Glinda had the vile to her lips. She prepared herself to ingest the crimson elixir. Then something inside her spoke, "Glinda, what are you doing?"

What was she doing? She was about to ingest a poison that would end the life of her baby. Her baby, a fragile innocent creature who had never asked anything of her, was about to be vanished from this world.

She looked down at her belly which was flat and showed no visual traces of holding a life within it. What would it feel like for it to expand to accommodate a little body?

Although it would be interesting to find out, one does not take on such experiments so lightly.

After all, would one catch their arm on fire just to see how it felt? No, because the consequences of those kinds of experiments outweigh curiosity.

She must not let her feelings get in the way. She had to take care of this problem before it grew into a full blown catastrophe.

Yet she could not escape the nagging voice inside her that told her to throw away the vile, that everything would all work out. Really, since when did things work out like they were supposed to? Take the state of her marriage; it was currently in horrible condition. No need to add a child into the mix.

She gently tipped the vile back. Slowly the viscous fluid came closer to her mouth. Right as it was about to hit her lips, the carriage came to a sudden halt. She lost her grip on the vile and it slowly tumbled to the ground. She tried to reach for it, but it was too late. It struck the wooden plank and bled its contents all over the floor.

Upset by the loss of the elixir, Glinda shouted at the driver, "For Oz sake! Can't you warn me next time you're going to stop so suddenly?"

The driver didn't reply, so Glinda climbed out of the carriage being careful not to step in the ruby fluid on the floor. Outside, she got the biggest shock of her life. It couldn't be. What in Oz's name was going on? Had she accidentally ingested some of the elixir? That had to be it, for how else would she make sense of what was staring her in the face?

* * *

Chanter was growing more anxious by each passing minute. It had been over an hour since he had awakened to find Glinda missing. The servant girl had seen the carriage leave several hours before and was almost certain that Glinda was inside.

If it was Glinda in the carriage, where could she have been headed? He had to find out because not knowing was agony.


	7. Just Call My Name

**Authors note:** Just a reminder, italics indicate a flashback.

Just Call My Name

_The young boy frantically threw off the blankets and ran his hand along the lumpy mattress. Nope, not there._

_He crouched down and stuck his head under the bed. The only thing he could spot was a pile of dust and a dirty pair of trousers that smelled quite foul. _

_He stretched his arm as far as it would go, but he still didn't find what he was looking for. He was looking for something special, something that had recently gone missing. _

_It was his lucky pebble, the one he had found down by the river last summer. The pebble that had stayed with him all the way up until he found out that his pocket had gotten a hole in it this morning. _

_He didn't know what he would do without it. He had grown accustomed to the feel of it against his leg and the weight of it in his pocket. The boy knew that he had to find it, for without it, his life may never be the same._

_The young fellow searched every single crevice and crack, but he never again saw that pebble. After a while, he forgot all about it, until now._

He had suddenly recalled that day he lost his pebble because he found himself thinking how childish it was to fret over a lost stone. It seemed even more foolish now because he had something more fragile that had gone missing.

Glinda was still absent and he was currently on his way to find her. He sat uneasily in the carriage racking his brain, trying to piece together any clue that might lead him to Glinda.

He couldn't think of anything, but he knew that he would eventually run into her, for there was only one way out of the Emerald City.

The carriage was turbulent because of the rough terrain, but Chanter had not noticed. He was determined, and when he was determined, nothing disrupted him. He tried to think of what he was going to say to Glinda when he found her.

Something along the lines of, "I'm sorry for being such an inconsiderate, worthless, selfish, pig headed, yet handsome, husband. Please forgive me Glinda, I love you and I don't want to be away from you ever again." He added the handsome part for a touch of humor and he knew it would make her laugh.

He peered out of the window and kept expecting to see the little blonde standing there waiting for him to rescue her. Yet deep down, he wasn't sure if she wanted to be rescued.

* * *

Glinda looked over to the driver, but he was frozen in place like a human icicle. There was only one person to join her in witnessing the insanity that stood before her. She wanted to reach out her hand and brush it against the person before her, but she was scared.

It had to be a mistake, she had to be hallucinating. How else could this be happening? Glinda pinched herself, which evoked a zealous cackle from the other person.

"How?" Glinda managed to squeak.

The other person took a few steps closer. Being only a few feet away there was no mistaking that odd, yet endearing, hue.

"Glinda. Don't be scared." Elphaba said through a smile. She was trying to conceal her feelings but they burst out of her like a bunch of fireworks.

The tears stung her skin like acid and she wiped them away ferociously. The tears were painful, but not nearly as excruciating as the feeling of leaving the ones she had loved. The ones she still loved.

She couldn't hold back any longer, she ran to Glinda and pulled her close. The two women didn't need to speak to understand the gravity of their situation.

Glinda peered up at the green girl, the girl she thought had melted. Yet she was staring at her, she was touching her, and she was very much solid.

Elphaba was as beautiful as Glinda remembered, the only thing different was her hair. It wasn't long; in fact, it was only about shoulder length.

Elphaba saw the blonde girl eyeing her hair, and giggled, "Only you would be concerned with looks at a time like this. Don't you want to know what happened to your driver? Don't you want to know how I knew you were here and why I stopped your carriage? Or would you rather I entertain you with the story behind the hair cut of a phosphorescent witch?"

Glinda playfully hit Elphaba on the shoulder, "No, I want to know what's going on. And exactly how did you find me Elphie? And where have you been?"

The jade woman in front of her crossed her arms, and drew in a deep breath, "Well, as you may remember back at Shiz, I was learning how to perform spells. Well since then, I have perfected this magic cauldron in which I can observe any one I like. Every once in a while, I look in on you; make sure that you're alright. Well, the other day, I happen to see you and this man arguing,"

"Chanter," Glinda interrupted, "he's my husband."

Elphie nodded, and then continued, "well, I figured I had to leave seclusion to talk to you. I didn't like how unhappy you looked. Then, this morning, I wake with this terrible sickness. I ran to the cauldron, and sure enough, you weren't looking very well. So, I decided to come see you."

Glinda looked down at her hands, and then spoke softly, "Elphie, I'm pregnant."

Elphie's eyes grew in size and she looked quite comical standing there with her eyes spread wide, "Pregnant? Wow, the lovable Glinda the Good is great with child. I guess you miss a lot when you're hiding out in a cave."

"Yeah, though I was about to do something really horrible before you stopped my carriage. I was about to drink an elixir."

"What is it with you people and elixirs? You'd think you would have learned your lesson about the dangers of elixirs by now. Hello, do you want your child to turn out like, well, me?" Elphaba walked towards the carriage and held out her hand to touch the driver. He didn't move when she placed a green hand on his cheek.

"Okay. Glinda, I can't stay much longer. This spell is going to wear off soon, and I can't risk the driver getting a look at me. I just wanted to see you. Make sure that you're okay. I really should go." She began to retreat towards the tree where her broom was levitating.

"Wait!" Glinda called out, "you didn't tell me where you've been this whole time."

Elphie sighed, and reluctantly turned around, "Well, the day I 'melted,' Fiyero and I escaped to Kiamo Ko. We've been hiding in the caves there ever since."

"So, Fiyero is alive too?" Glinda whispered, feeling a bit faint from the shock of the news.

"Yes, we had to fake our deaths; it was the only way we could ever be," she paused to think of a word, "together. Glinda I never wanted to leave, but sometimes we don't have easy choices. I had to do what was best, and I had to disappear. Although I'm not with you, know that I'm always looking out for you. Anytime you need me, just call my name. I'll be listening." Elphaba took her friend's hand in her own, and squeezed it.

Then, suddenly she was on the broom and hovering into the air. She went higher, until she was above the trees and seconds later, she was only a spec.

Glinda stood still, recalling what had just happened. Elphaba was alive, and Fiyero too. How had she not known this whole time? She was standing there in the silence trying to keep her heart from bursting out of her chest.

* * *

Chanter was getting anxious. He had been out of the city for a while and still no sign of Glinda.

Chanter did not like the feeling that was beginning to develop in his stomach. He sensed that something was wrong and he knew that he had to find her soon.

Up ahead, there was a carriage and Chanter screamed for the driver to hurry up. When he drew closer the driver slowed, and Chanter jumped out. He lost his balance, and tripped.

He got a face full of dirt, but he didn't care. He had to pull her close to him and beg for forgiveness.

She was standing there with her hands on her chest. Her face was flustered, and she was a bit shaky.

"Glinda!" he called out as he made his way quickly towards her. She jerked her head in his direction and a small smile appeared.

Chanter grabbed her and buried his face in her hair. He twirled her around in his arms and she squealed.

"Chanter, you came for me! I'm sorry I left without telling you where I had gone." She pulled his face to hers.

"No, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I have been horrible and I…" Glinda silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"All is forgotten, after all. I have just received some news. We are about to add little bundle to our family." Glinda peered down at her stomach, than back at Chanter whose jaw had fallen open.

He leaned over and picked her up into his arms. Their lips met in a frantic kiss filled with an overwhelming amount of relief and passion.

They instructed the driver, who had awoken from the spell without any idea that he had been under it, to return to the palace.

Chanter placed his hands on either side of Glinda's face, "I really am sorry." Glinda smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

It had been five months since Glinda had found out she was pregnant, and boy had things changed. Her once flat stomach had expanded to about ten times its original size. Her chest had also grown, which was an annoyance to her, but Chanter didn't complain.

None of her clothes fit, but that wasn't a problem, it just gave her an excuse to go shopping for new outfits.

She still had several months left, yet her tiny frame didn't look as if it could grow much more.

That night in bed, she found herself rubbing her belly, and cooing at the little one inside, "Hey sweetheart. Momsy is so excited to see you. I can't wait to see your beautiful face and show you around the palace."

Just then, Glinda felt a sharp pain and a poke, "Hey you, that wasn't very nice. Don't kick your mother while she's trying to get some sleep." Glinda giggled, and rubbed her stomach where the baby had kicked.

Chanter watched Glinda talking to her belly and couldn't help but feel his heart swell with love. How amazing did she look? Her cute little body with their baby inside.

He climbed in to bed next to her. He lifted up her nightgown to reveal her belly, he loved looking at it. Her soft skin and the veins that ran in a most interesting pattern intrigued him. He kissed her stomach which caused her to giggle and her belly to shake.

He placed one hand on top of her belly button and the other one slightly higher on her belly. He felt odd, but he began to talk to his child.

"Hey baby, its daddy. I love you, and I hope you're feeling okay. Mommy's right here too, but I'm sure you already know that. We love you so much."

Chanter pulled Glinda's nightgown back down over her belly. It hardly fit and he knew she would need a new one soon.

He placed his head on her stomach and tried to listen to the movements of the baby. Glinda ran her hands through his hair and he soon fell asleep.

Glinda lay in bed awake. Chanter had fallen asleep on her belly, and she was pretty sure the baby was asleep too, for it hadn't kicked in a while.

She looked up at the ceiling and began to speak to an old friend, "Elphie, I know you can see me. Can you believe how huge I've gotten?" She pointed to the rounded part of her body.

"It's not so bad actually. It gets me a lot of attention and it makes a nice arm rest when I get tired. Of course, I can't wait to see the baby. I'm just glad that you get to see us, no matter how far away you may be."

Glinda giggled when Chanter woke up.

"Who are you talking to?" He asked sleepily.

"Oh, just the baby."


	8. Forever Intertwined

Forever Intertwined

Glinda sat down on the couch and placed the plate on her belly. It made a convenient little table except for when the baby decided to kick or wiggle around, which was about every five minutes or so.

She was about to devour a roast beef and apple sandwich. They were her current craving and they were delicious. She was always coming up with interesting ingredients to add to it.

Pregnancy wasn't as bad as she had thought it was going to be. She had gotten used to the fact that she could no longer see her feet and she also had grown accustomed to having a person moving around inside of her.

The stress wasn't too bad at work, but that was partly because everyone was treating her like a fragile heirloom. They would hardly let her do anything on her own. If she had to put up with this for another three months, she might possibly go crazy.

The only thing that bothered her was that her bladder now had a person sitting on it, so she was constantly having to go pee. It was a major annoyance during meetings because she always had to leave during important discussions.

Chanter was great though. He was understanding and gentle even when she made it hard for him to deal with her.

He didn't mind when she started crying when he offered to get her a drink. He even put up with her constant complaining about how ugly she was, even though he knew it wasn't true, and he told her that she looked beautiful about a hundred times a day.

As Glinda bit into her sandwich, she had the most brilliant idea. What would make a roast beef and apple sandwich even better? Of course, a huge helping of pickles would be delightful.

She managed to get off of the couch, despite several unsuccessful attempts, and head to the kitchen. Chanter was standing at the counter putting together his own sandwich.

"Hey sweetheart," She said as she placed her plate on the counter, "do we have any pickles?" He looked over at the empty jar in front of him and then down at the four pickles on his sandwich.

"Oh no, there aren't any more? I was really wanting some." She stuck out her lip and it began to quiver. Chanter, not wanting to see her cry again, scooped up the pickles and nestled them in her sandwich.

Glinda was so touched by his gesture that she began to cry anyways. Chanter sighed, and pulled her close to him.

It was getting harder to hold her near to him because a certain someone was growing more and more everyday. Chanter couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. Glinda had been pregnant for six months, and for six months he had officially been freaking out over becoming a father.

These freak outs lasted only minutes, but they occurred every time Chanter pictured himself as a father. He didn't know anything about children, yet he had wanted one so bad. Now he was wondering what he had been thinking.

Now that he was going to have a child of his own, the reality of the situation was beginning to sink in. Although he knew it would be worth it once he was holding that little baby in his arms, he had to admit that it was a bit terrifying.

The best part was imagining the first time they would all be together as a family. Chanter smiled at that thought and kissed the top of Glinda's head.

She turned her face to him and sniffled. He wiped away her tears with his hand, then pulled her face close to his, "My dear Glinda, oh how I love you." And with that he kissed her nose.

She reached around him and picked up her sandwich. She beheld it as if it were a treasure, and then suddenly dropped it back to the plate. "Yuck. I think I'd rather have a piece of cake."

Glinda sat on the couch next to Chanter and licked off the last little bit of icing from her fork. She had devoured every single bit of the sweet confection, so she put the plate on the table.

She lifted her short little legs up on the couch and slid down until she was resting her head on Chanter's lap. She grabbed his hands and positioned them on her stomach then put her hands on top of his.

Glinda began to sing softly, "Sweet baby, what a precious sight. Sweet baby, you shine so bright. Strong hands and a little button nose. Tender curls and cute little toes. Sweet baby, safe in my arms. Sweet baby, no one can resist your charms." She continued humming the melody as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Elphaba glanced down into the mystical waters of the cauldron, and saw her little blonde friend sleeping soundly. For some reason, she had become attached to Glinda. Now they were forever intertwined because of the friendship that had sprouted at Shiz.

A small smile crept up on Elphaba as she examined the rounded belly of her best friend. How such a tiny person carried such a huge bump was a mystery to Elphaba. She walked away from the cauldron, satisfied with what she had seen.

The dust on the floor of the cave began to stir as she made her way outside to where Fiyero was currently sitting on a stone. She joined him on his hardened seat and looked out across the treetops. Elphaba had gotten used to his appearance and she loved to run her fingers across the coarse strands of hay that stuck out from random places.

He turned and kissed her when he felt her throw her arm around his waist. His lips even tasted like the sweet hay and she let him pull her close. They were happy, yet it was still unsettling that they had to hide away like a couple of criminals.

If ever Elphaba was jealous of Glinda, it was right now. Oh how she longed to be out in the open with her lover, pregnant, and bubbling with happiness. She had had never pictured that she would have wanted those sorts of things, but when she had found Fiyero, everything had changed. She even began imagining them bringing up a couple of children of their own. Teaching them all about the various spells and watching them explore the caves.

Although, she found herself desiring those sorts of things, she knew that it would never be that simple for her. How would she ever care for a child? Could someone without a soul even love a child?

Well, that seemed like an easy question to answer, after all she loved Fiyero. Or did she? Were her feelings for Fiyero love or something else? Maybe she just got them confused with the desperation to have someone instead of being alone. No, Elphaba may have been confused about a lot of emotions, but she was quite sure that she loved Fiyero.

She also knew that no matter how much she hated to admit it, she also loved a certain little blonde who had become more like a little sister instead of a best friend. And, unlike her real little sister Nessarose, Glinda was standing on her own two feet without any magical spell from Elphaba. That last fact made Elphaba proud, and for the first time, her heart felt whole.


	9. Ten Fingers and Ten Toes

**Author's Note**: I am sorry for the confusion. This story is based on the characters from Wicked, but I am changing some of the events. Some characters that appear in this story may have died in the original production play and or book. I have altered the story a little bit for entertainment purposes.

Ten Fingers and Ten Toes

Elphaba was awakened from her slumber suddenly by a book dropping on top of her chest. She was startled and it caused her to lose her breath.

Was it a book? Or was it a creature trying to attack her? She couldn't be sure because she was so startled and confused.

Upon regaining her senses, she realized that it was indeed a book that had landed on her. The Grimmerie had apparently decided to come to life.

For days she had been doing research, and she hadn't been able to find anything useful.

She hadn't told Fiyero, for she could not risk disappointing him in the event that she could not find the spell she was searching for.

But now, as the book opened up and began to flip its own pages, Elphaba was sure that the spell was finding her.

Suddenly the pages stopped on a seemingly simple spell. Elphaba gently swung her feet over the side of the bed, and crept outside.

The chill of the night caused a shiver to shake her body, and the anticipation of what may result made her hands tremble as she prepared to read the words.

Should she read the spell? What if the spell actually ended up resulting in a larger problem? Her head was reeling with the possible outcomes of the spell, but every one of them seemed worth the chance.

She sat the book on a rock and kneeled down in front of it. The words began to dance out of her as she began to chant them in rhythm, "Uni ellekah bachi naman, seri seri naman kah. Uni ellekah bachi naman, seri seri naman kah."

As the words spilled from her lips, she began to feel a sudden burst of energy rise from within her core. On the last words, "ellekah bachi naman," Elphaba collapsed from the loss of power.

She was panting and gasping for breath, but stood despite her exhaustion. Elphie noticed that spells drained her physically and emotionally, but she didn't care.

For Fiyero Elphie would have done anything to restore him to his original self. After all, she was the one responsible for his current condition.

She tiptoed back to bed, quietly and as softly as she could, to see if the spell had been successful.

Elphaba gradually crept back into bed, but felt her heart fall when the all too familiar sprigs of hay brushed against her leg.

She felt the anger at herself rise because of the ineffective attempt at restoring Fiyero.

She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. Life had never been easy for her, so why should it start changing its course now?

The night grew still and Elphaba didn't hold back her tears. She knew that the pain from the tears would never be as bad as letting Fiyero down once again.

* * *

Glinda sat at the head of the table. She was quite miserable this morning, but she was fulfilling her obligatory duties anyways. 

She was doing her duties despite her impending childbirth that Aldo had warned could come at any moment.

Today an old acquaintance sat across the table from Glinda. Nessarose, the younger sister of Elphie, sat only feet away from Glinda. Nessa had come on official business, for she was now the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland.

Glinda tried to concentrate on the woman's words, but her eyes kept focusing in on Nessa's shoes. Those horrible shoes! They were the cause of much jealousy and much obsession from Elphie.

Also, the woman wearing them was a huge pain. After Elphie had "died" Glinda felt obligated to continue taking care of Nessa, but it was pure agony!

Now, several years later, Nessa seemed like a new person. Not only could she walk in on her own, Glinda made a mental note to find out the details on her sudden healing later, she also seemed like she was more aware of her power.

"Now, we would like to have our rights equally and fairly stated in the Oz Constitution. That is why I appeared here today, and I would like it if you took it under consideration." Nessa forced a smile and crossed her hands in front of her on the table.

Glinda was about to reply when she felt a horrible pain in her stomach. It shot up her body and she nearly doubled over.

"Oh no," Glinda managed to say despite the new phenomenon taking place in her body.

"Well really, Glinda, you won't even consider what I said?" Nessa replied angrily, thinking that Glinda's response was directed towards her proposal.

"No," Glinda said while trying to stand to her feet, "I think it's time! Someone please find Chanter and hurry! I don't want to have this baby in the middle of the meeting room!"

Glinda tried to keep herself calm, but she was petrified. Her body was a stranger to her as she experienced pains in places she didn't even know existed. She lay in her bed and tried to concentrate on Chanter's face starting down at her.

Aldo was standing next to the fireplace boiling some water and came over to check on Glinda's progress.

Glinda propped up her legs and was pleased when Aldo patted her on the knee.

"Well, it won't be long now Glinda. I'd say only about another hour. You must be ready for that baby to come, usually first time mothers take many hours to deliver their child. You've only been in labor for three hours and you're speeding along."

Glinda was pleased to hear that she was nearing the end, the pain was getting worse, and she was tired of being exposed for all to see. Her modesty had been thrown out the window the very moment her labor had begun.

Now as she lay naked, covered only by thin sheet, Glinda realized that someone very important was missing. A green someone.

* * *

At that very moment, Elphaba was sitting outside on the ground. She had been feeling depressed and right now she was staring at her hands. She was feeling horrible because Fiyero still didn't seem to be showing any effects from the spell that she had done earlier that morning. 

If it didn't work, he was doomed forever to be a human scarecrow, and that was something that Elphie couldn't stand to have on her conscience.

Fiyero had gone out to the woods to find some dinner and she was alone. She had checked her cauldron earlier, but a nagging voice in her head told her to check it again.

Elphie peered into the murky waters that came to life with the wave of her hand. In the cauldron, she could see Glinda lying on a bed, and a woman was at her feet.

"Oh Glinda, it's time already?" Elphaba covered her mouth and gasped. She wanted to be by Glinda's side, but she knew that it would take her at least a couple of days to reach the city by broom.

She contemplated her journey for only seconds, than ran out to find Fiyero. She knew that she had to meet that little Glinda baby.

* * *

Glinda screamed; the agony of delivering a baby was so hard to bear. Glinda couldn't comprehend how so many other women did this very thing numerous times and voluntarily too. 

Chanter wiped away her beads of sweat with the rag and then went back to holding her hand. She knew she was squeezing way too hard, but when the contractions came, she didn't care.

With her legs pulled up to her chest, Glinda pushed. She felt a strange sensation in her body and it wasn't one she wanted to repeat, but was forced to anyways.

"Okay, Glinda. This time, chin to your chest and push as hard as you can."

Glinda did as Aldo said the next time she felt her stomach cramp. After pushing, she saw the color drain from the midwife's face.

"Oh." Aldo said in a less than encouraging voice, "Hold on Glinda, don't push. I need to think for a moment." Aldo's face was serious as she took a step back.

"What's wrong?" Glinda frantically asked, "Is the baby okay?"

Aldo stepped back up to Glinda, "Well, the stubborn little thing has decided to come out feet first. I think I'm going to have to try to turn the baby. Now, Glinda, this is going to be the worst part. It's going to hurt a lot, so just take a deep breath and grab on to Chanter."

As Aldo tried to turn the baby, Glinda yelled in pain. She twisted the cloth of Chanter's shirt between her fingers and bit down on her lip. The fiery pains made tears come to her eyes as the midwife tried to twist and turn the baby.

Aldo wasn't successful. "This little baby wants to come out walking, so I guess I have to comply. Glinda, you can start pushing again, but we need to try to speed this up."

The next push was excruciating, and the pain shot all the way up to her temples. Glinda pushed with every ounce of her strength.

"Alright, great job Glinda. A few more pushes, and you should have your baby."

"How many more? I don't think I can take too much more of this Aldo." Glinda cried, and trembled at the thought of having to endure this for much longer.

Chanter stroked her cheek, then went to the end of the bed, "Come on Glinda, I can see the baby's toes!"

Glinda leaned up and forced the baby down, the sensation was strange as she felt the baby beginning to come out.

"Come on Glinda, you can do it! Push! The baby is almost here!" Chanter encouraged as he placed a hand on her knee. The cramp was coming again and Glinda prepared herself to push once more.

* * *

Elphaba navigated through the woods and carried her broom under her arm. The crisp leaves crunched beneath her feet as she searched for Fiyero. Then, she spotted something strange on the ground. She had to crouch down on her knees to examine it closer. 

Hay in the middle of the forest? And there was a big pile of it too. It was strange, but Elphaba had seen stranger.

Then she saw him, he was sitting on a log, with his head in his hands. Was he crying? Elphaba had never seen him cry. She approached him, and when he looked up into her eyes, she realized where the pile of hay had come from.

* * *

Chanter stared at Glinda; her face held traces of agony and sweat poured down her face. He wanted so much for her to be finished with labor and he also felt horrible that he couldn't do anything to ease her pain. 

Glinda screamed, and Chanter saw the baby's tiny legs appear. He didn't know how Glinda was doing it, because from what he was witnessing at the end of the bed, he knew that it couldn't feel too great.

He was getting a little bit squeamish, but before he had a chance to think about getting sick, a rather odd looking creature slid into Aldo's hands.

Aldo inspected the baby, and turned it around towards Glinda. The baby screeched and wasn't too happy about being born. Aldo cut the baby's umbilical cord.

"Well, Glinda, you have a gorgeous baby girl. She seems healthy and there are ten fingers and ten toes." Aldo grabbed a towel and wiped the baby down.

Glinda was crying at the sight of the perfect little girl in front of her. She noticed the head full of mahogany hair, the perfect lips, and the little nose which she recognized as very similar to her own.

Aldo placed the adorable little girl in Glinda's arms. The baby stopped crying when Glinda held her close and began talking to her.

"Welcome to the world my beautiful little girl. Mommy is so glad that you're finally here, but did you have to be so stubborn and come out feet first? You're taking after your Daddy already." Glinda kissed the top of her daughter's head and then looked over at Chanter.

Tears fell from his eyes and he leaned down to get a closer look at his little girl. She was beautiful and he could already tell that despite the dark hair, she looked exactly like her mommy. Her eyes were wide open and she was staring up at him.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm so glad that you're here. Daddy has been waiting to see your lovely little face." He kissed the baby and then leaned over to Glinda.

"I'm so proud of you. You showed me how strong you really are and I admire your perseverance. And, look what a gorgeous little girl we created." He kissed her and it was like they were kissing for the first time.

The kiss felt different. The thing that had been missing from their lives was currently secure in her mother's arms. They both looked down at their newly born pink bundle of sweetness.

"So, what is her name?" Aldo asked suddenly coming up to the side of the bed.

"Raina," Glinda said confidently, "it means queen. After all, she is royalty, I think it fits her."

Chanter gently picked Raina up out of Glinda's arms, "Welcome to the world Raina."

Chanter was surprised at how tiny she was. He could barely even tell he was holding her, and she squirmed a little bit in his arms.

Raina started to put her fists up to her mouth and suck on them. When she realized that she was not being satisfied by the tiny hands, she began to cry.

Chanter looked up, terrified, and handed her back to Glinda, "Oh no, something's wrong. What happened? Did I hurt her?"

Glinda chuckled at his unease. "No, you didn't hurt her. Looks like she's hungry. See the way she's attacking her fists, she wants some food."

Glinda lifted the baby up to her exposed chest, and Chanter was amazed.

Here he was totally clueless as to what to do with the baby, but Glinda seemed to know exactly what to do with her.

The baby seemed to know exactly what to do too, and she began to take in the nourishment that Glinda was providing.

Chanter sat down on the bed and watched the scene in front of him. It was quite possibly the most beautiful sight he had ever witnessed.

The two most important people in his life were before him and they had a connection that could not be shared by him. He could love her more than anything, but he would never be able to provide for her the way Glinda could.

Glinda stared down at her child, and found it hard to believe that the little girl was only minutes old. It seemed as though she had always been there and she already felt extremely connected with the small person.

At that moment, Glinda thanked Elphaba for stopping her carriage that day many months ago. Looking down at the beautiful gift, she knew that she would never want to live without Raina. She couldn't even imagine that she had ever wanted to get rid of such a perfect miracle.

Raina looked up at her mother and Glinda could swear that she saw the baby smile.


	10. Auntie Elphie

Auntie Elphie

Chanter cradled his newborn daughter in his arms. She was sound asleep and wrapped up in a pink blanket.

He gently stroked her cheek and smoothed down her thick hair.

He had been admiring her for, well, it had to have been more than an hour. Raina's tiny feet and hands were what he was noticing at the moment. She gripped his finger with a surprising amount of strength.

Chanter leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. As much as he would have liked to hold her all night, he knew that there was someone else he needed to tend to.

The bassinet was in the corner of the room. The sheets were white, but now that they knew they had a little girl, the appropriately pink frilly sheets would be put on tomorrow.

Carefully he lowered Raina into the bassinet. He held his breath as she started to wiggle a little bit, but was relieved when she settled down.

He left her and went to the bed. Glinda looked so peaceful and he couldn't believe what she had been through just hours before. He was also in disbelief that they had created the most perfect little girl together.

He slowly lowered himself into the bed and snuggled up to her back. At his touch she awoke and turned to look at him. Chanter noticed that her eyes were red and she looked exhausted. He brushed the hair out of her face and placed his hand under her chin.

"Hello my beauty. How are you feeling?" He lightly brushed his lips against hers.

"Well, as good as can be expected I guess. I'm fatigued, but somehow I expect that may be due to the fact that I pushed an eight pound person out of my, well, you know." She smiled as she placed her hand on his chest.

"How's Raina?" She asked suddenly, with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Perfect. She stayed asleep after you fed her, and I was holding her for over an hour. I just now put her in the bassinet."

"Someone's got daddy wrapped around her little fingers already. I sense we're going to have one spoiled little girl on our hands." Glinda giggled and then grabbed Chanter's hands. She tangled her fingers in his and then went about meeting his lips in a deep kiss.

Their lips met in a rapid flurry of passion. Overwhelmed by their intense feelings, both new and exciting, they almost didn't hear Raina cry.

Glinda broke off the kiss and headed to the tiny baby crying out.

Raina pulled her knees up to her chest and wobbled her head around as Glinda picked her up. She stopped crying when she heard her mother's voice, "Hey sweet baby, its okay. Mommy's here. What's wrong? Are you hungry again?"

Glinda grabbed a pillow and placed it underneath Raina, then unbuttoned her shirt. The little baby gladly began eating.

Chanter smiled as he marveled at how quickly Glinda had adapted to motherhood.

"What?" Glinda asked when she noticed that he was staring at her.

"I can't even tell you how much I love you." He smiled and then decided to show her with a kiss instead.

* * *

Elphaba still couldn't believe it. A couple of hours earlier, she had come across Fiyero in the forest. His eyes were filled with tears and he looked so vulnerable. He was, well, normal. 

She hated to think of it in that way; after all, what was normal? But he was back to his previously human state.

When she found him, she kneeled down and a hold of his hands. The hay was gone and his skin was warm to her touch.

The sapphire diamonds that once covered his skin were visible again. Elphaba couldn't wait to gaze upon each and every one of them as she slowly pulled him close.

Their embrace lasted for what seemed to be an eternity, and Elphaba was the one who ended it.

"Yero, are you okay?" Elphaba inquired.

"I'm fine, just in shock. I can't believe it. I was just walking and all of the sudden, I had this strange sensation. It felt a little bit like when your leg goes to sleep, you know that tingling feeling. Well went throughout my entire body and when I looked down, I saw the pile of hay."

"Is everything back to the way it used to be?" Elphaba asked looking over him to make sure he was alright.

"Everything seems okay, although I haven't really looked really well. Did you do this Fae?"

Elphaba looked up into his eyes, "Yes. I couldn't stand knowing that you might be stuck like that forever and I know that you wanted to be like you used to be."

"I'll never be like I used to be. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you found a way to change me back, but I never want to go back to the old Fiyero. My heart will forever be changed for the better, and all because of my beautiful Fae." He stood and took her hand in his.

"Fiyero, I have to leave. Remember how I told you that Glinda was going to have a baby? Well, today was the day. I must go visit her. It's going to take me around three days by broom, and I'll probably stay for a day or two." Elphie grabbed the broom that was hovering beside her and started walking towards the cave with Fiyero.

She had already packed her clothes, so when she got back to the cave, all she had to do was grab her bag. Fiyero pulled her close and held her tight.

"Be careful my Fae. I love you and I'll be waiting for you to return. Tell Glinda congratulations for me." He kissed her tenderly and then observed her as she left for Oz.

Elphaba sat atop the broom and watched as the trees began to look like tiny specks. The wind whipped her raven hair against her cheeks and the moonlight made her glow even more than usual.

She would only be able to travel until dawn, then she would have to find a place to hide until evening. Elphaba was surprised at how excited she was to see Glinda again. But most of all, she was excited to see Glinda's little baby.

Elphaba panicked when she suddenly realized that she was flying above a river. If she slipped or if her broom lost its magic, Elphie would be dumped into the water. That was the most terrifying fate Elphaba could imagine.

The landscapes began to melt together into one continuous patch of grass and houses after several hours of flying.

Elphaba found she was yawning about every five seconds and fought desperately to stay awake.

She began to think about Fiyero and how she had come to love him. She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment, but she suspected that it was that day he arrived at Shiz. He was seemingly arrogant and shallow, yet she could see through his façade.

That day when he grabbed the helpless Lion's cage, he had also unexpectedly taken a hold of her heart.

They had both disappeared from their world without a trace. They were the invisible couple, yet to Elphaba, Fiyero was all that she could see.

His arms held her during cold nights when storms would threaten to reach them inside the cave. Having his body against hers was the most comforting feeling she had ever known.

His lips were perfect and she loved the tender kisses he always placed across her sea of emerald skin.

Her thoughts were so caught up in shared intimate moments that she didn't realize that the sun was beginning to rise. She continued going until she felt the faint heat of the sun kissing her face.

"Great. Where am I going to sleep?" She frenetically looked around but the only place she saw that would be good for hiding was a small cornfield.

"Looks like I have no other choice," she sighed then slowly brought herself down to the ground. She weaved into the tall plants and finally climbed off of the broom. She found that she was exhausted almost instantaneously. Her bag made a perfect pillow and she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

* * *

Glinda was staring out the open window. It was getting really late and she was about to go to bed when Raina started crying. 

"Hold on sweetheart, mommy's coming."

The little baby had a big voice and Glinda wondered how something so small could produce such a large sound.

Raina was now four days old and Glinda had already gotten used to the feeding schedule. She knew that ever two hours and fifteen minutes, Raina would cry to be fed.

She brought Raina out of the bedroom and sat down in the chair that was in front of the window. Raina was eagerly anticipating her late night dinner, but would have to wait a moment.

Glinda was startled by a sudden noise that came from the balcony. She was tempted to go wake up Chanter because she was sure that she heard something.

Raina began crying because she wasn't happy that she wasn't eating yet, so Glinda began feeding her. The noise came again, except this time, Glinda also saw something moving as well.

She was startled when someone came inside. If she hadn't been so shocked, she would have screamed.

Elphaba didn't mean to scare Glinda, but there's really no easy way to just walk into someone's home unexpectedly.

Glinda sat in a plush chair, chest fully exposed, and nursing her little baby. Elphaba chuckled at Glinda's expression.

"Did I scare you?" She teased.

"I knew it was you the whole time," Glinda replied stubbornly.

"Sure you did, that must be why all of the color drained from your face then."

"How did you? When did you? What are you doing here?" Glinda finally managed to ask.

"Remember my old broom? Well, I kind of rode it here." Elphie giggled at her confession.

"I don't even want to know how you did that, well, not right now anyways."

Raina wasn't very hungry and she was already done eating. Glinda buttoned her shirt and put Raina on her shoulder to expel the tiny burp.

Elphaba walked closer to Glinda and the baby. Glinda turned the baby towards Elphaba.

"Raina, meet your Auntie Elphie." Elphaba reached out and took the little girl in her arms.

Looking down at the little face, Elphie was surprised at how much Raina looked like Glinda. She was probably the cutest thing Elphie had ever seen. She was wearing a little purple nightgown, with daisies on it. Her gorgeous dark hair showed promise of sprouting into curls and Elphie was surprised at how she felt about the baby.

She was content in holding the little girl and staring into her face.

"Wow, Glinda. She's gorgeous. How's motherhood? Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that Fiyero wanted me to congratulate you for him."

"Aw, tell him I said thank you and thank you too. Motherhood was a surprise at first, but now I think I have the hang of it. Pretty much I just feed her every couple of hours, and change her diapers in between the time she eats. Other than that, I just gaze at her and try not to hold her every second of the day."

Elphie looked over at her friend. She looked beautiful and she was so happy that she was beaming. She looked down at the little bundle in her arms and decided to tell her a secret.

"Raina, you know what? You're the luckiest little girl. Not only do you have the most brilliant Auntie in the world, but you also have the most amazing mother too. She will care for you like no one else ever did. She will make you realize that you can reach for your goals and she will push you to do things you never thought were possible. You want to know how I know all of those things? Because she did all of that for me." Elphaba kissed the tiny girl's forehead.

"Just don't let her sing you that silly song about being popular, I'm sure you'll be fine on your own." Elphaba giggled and walked over to Glinda who stood too. The two embraced gently with Raina in between them.

There was a small silence that none of the women in the room dared to break.


	11. The Loveliest Little Girl at the Party

The Loveliest Little Girl at the Party

Elphaba watched as Glinda talked with her husband, Chanter, on the other side of the room. She was trying to make out her words, but Elphaba had never been good at reading lips.

Elphie was surprised when she realized the he hadn't run away when he saw her in his home. He had only smiled nervously and then looked to Glinda for an explanation.

Elphaba stood in the room holding Raina and trying not to let her jealousy emerge. She was happy for Glinda, but yet there was still this feeling that she could not ignore.

The little baby was so precious, but she wasn't Elphaba's and that was what made it so hard to bear. Elphaba wanted a baby of her own. She fought the sudden urge to fly home and begin trying to make one with Fiyero.

She had never thought of herself as the motherly type, but Glinda never seemed like one to have children either, yet she seemed fit for the job.

Raina's little chin began to quiver and she screwed up her face. Elphaba pulled the little girl closer and began to rock her slowly.

The little baby settled down and snuggled up against her auntie's chest. Elphaba was pleased that she had been able to comfort the little girl. It wasn't often that she was able to comfort anyone.

She looked over at Chanter and Glinda who were presently headed in her direction. When they reached her, a slight awkward silence fell over them.

Chanter cleared his throat as he tried to expel a sentence. Just as he opened his lips to talk, Glinda interrupted, "Elphie, this is Chanter. Chanter this is Elphie."

The three stood there, puzzled as to what to do next. The tension made Elphie cackle loudly and in turn made Glinda giggle.

Chanter just looked at the two women in front of him. He knew that he would never understand them, so for the moment being, he joined in the laughing.

Glinda had told Chanter about Elphie before, but she had to add the whole faking death thing. She was still kind of dizzy from explaining the complexities that came with Elphaba's situation.

She smiled as she admired the woman in front of her. She was elegant and exotic. Her beauty was striking and she looked so at ease standing there holding Raina. But Glinda could tell that something wasn't right, Elphie wasn't okay.

Chanter, can you take Raina and give us a moment alone please. Chanter nodded and gently took Raina from her auntie. He kissed the top of the baby's head and walked out onto the balcony.

Glinda sat down on the couch and motioned for Elphaba to sit next to her. With her friend so close, Glinda had to resist the urge to pull her close in an embrace.

She had missed Elphie so much, and she still remembered the grief that had haunted her heart. The ache she felt from knowing that she would never see that lovely green face again had torn her apart.

Now, sitting only inches from that same "deceased" friend, Glinda was aware of those feelings returning. The tears began to make their way down her cheeks and she quickly looked away.

"What's wrong Glinda?" Elphie asked, placing her hand on top of her friend's.

"Nothing. Just, when I thought I had lost you, something inside me changed. Well, it was more like it collapsed. I felt myself sinking into an abyss that was leading me down into a life that was unpleasant. I just didn't know how to move on. You were such a part of my life that when you had melted, I do believe that a piece of me had melted too. I can't even describe how I felt."

"I know how you felt. Don't forget that I had to leave you too. I knew that deep down I had grown to love you, like a sister. Actually, I love you more than my sister. I had to leave and live in a cave because of everything that had happened, but I'm starting to feel confident that I no longer need to hide away. I think for once I deserve to have my chance to live my life without worrying what other people may say or do. I'm tired of hiding; it's my turn to be happy. I deserve to be happy!" Elphie practically jumped off of the couch.

"Glinda, I'm going to do it! I'm leaving the caves and coming back. As much as I hate to admit it, I want what you have. You are happy and you have a beautiful family. Just because my skin is as green as the grass doesn't mean I deserve to be walked on." Elphie grabbed Glinda and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Wow Elphie, to tell you the truth, you're beginning to scare me. I've never seen you behave like this before. Are you sure you don't need to lie down? You sound a bit, well, delirious."

Elphaba ignored her and called her broom from across the room. Chanter was standing at the window with Raina and Elphie kissed the little girl's forehead.

She then took off on her broom, leaving Chanter and Glinda staring at her.

"Um, is she always so, interesting?" Chanter asked as he walked to Glinda.

"You have no idea." Glinda answered as she reached up and kissed him.

Elphaba felt bad for leaving so abruptly, but her hormones were raging and she had to get back home to Fiyero. Holding that precious little baby had made her realize what was missing in her life. So, as the wind hit her face, she couldn't help but smile when she thought about getting home to him.

She had been infected with the baby fever and now she was about to pass it on to Fiyero. As she finally reached the mouth of the cave, she felt her heart flutter.

Fiyero was standing at their wooden make shift table unaware that she was in the room. Elphie ran and pounced on him, causing them to meet the ground.

He was caught off guard, but then he relaxed when he realized that it was Elphaba.

He smiled and then met her lips in a kiss. The separation, although brief, had caused them to bottle up their affections. Now, the affection was spilling out all around them as they came together.

Elphie smiled, and whispered in Fiyero's ear, "I love you, and I want to walk down the streets with you for the whole world to see, so that's exactly what we're going to do."

* * *

The town was buzzing from the big event of the day. There were decorations everywhere and banners hung on every street corner. The citizens of Oz quickly prepared the courtyard for the afternoon's celebration.

Pink taffeta and lace was draped on anything that wasn't moving and roses were scattered on every table top.

Today's celebration had everyone talking and everyone was dying to see the birthday girl.

Amongst all of the commotion, they also wondered if today's celebration would let them sneak a peek at the newly returned green woman.

They had recently been shocked to discover that Elphaba had not died. They almost didn't believe it when they saw that she was quite pregnant when she had returned.

She was indeed in the possession of a chubby little baby boy, with surprisingly normal skin, which they found out about two months ago when he had been born.

He was given the name Liir. The little boy was the talk of the town for a while, but today, there was only one child on everyone's mind.

* * *

Today was Raina's very first birthday. Everyone had gone all out in decorating because they all wanted to get a glimpse of the gorgeous daughter of Glinda and Chanter.

The once dark haired little girl had sprouted golden curls seemingly overnight. Her beautiful blue eyes and cherub cheeks charmed everyone that came in contact with her.

She was often seen waddling several feet in front of Glinda while inside the palace. And she was rumored to have been named the most beautiful baby in all of Oz.

Raina was also very curious and she kept Glinda very busy. Every couple of seconds, Raina would be on her tip toes trying to grasp a glass or an antique vase. Glinda found it tiring to keep up with the little girl.

"Mama," Raina stated, as she held up her arms to Glinda, "hold."

Glinda reached down and picked up the little girl. She kissed her and smoothed down her dress. She examined the child in front of her. How had time gone by so fast? It seemed like just yesterday she had given birth to her.

She couldn't believe Raina was one today and it made her smile knowing that her little girl had been in her life for an entire year. It was the happiest year she had ever known.

The moment between the two of them was short lived because Raina began to wiggle around. She wanted to get down and explore. Glinda enjoyed being able to watch Raina be more independent, but she also missed the times when she would sit and hold her for an hour at a time.

Nowadays, she was lucky if she could get her to be still long enough to get her dressed. It was crazy how much she had changed in the course of a year.

She hardly even resembled the little girl that had been born a year earlier. She was still the spitting image of Glinda, even down to the way her eyes squinted when she was thinking.

Raina's party dress was gorgeous and it had been Glinda's idea to get one for herself that matched. The dresses were crimson red, with scalloped layers that started at the hip. The bodice of Glinda's dress was intricately designed with beads.

Chanter came up and smiled at his two girls. "Look at the little mini-Glinda. How adorable is that? And you look gorgeous as always." He leaned over and kissed the older blonde's forehead.

Raina held out her arms and clapped her hands to get her father's attention, "Hold, dada."

He reached out and took her into his arms. Glinda straightened out Raina's dress and tucked a curl behind her tiny ear. The little girl poked her daddy in the nose and giggled when he made a silly face at her.

"Raina, do you want to go see auntie and Liir?" Glinda questioned.

Raina almost jumped out of Chanter's arms as he placed her on the ground. She started running down the hallway and stopped at her auntie's door. She placed a tiny uncoordinated knock, and was surprised when the door in front of her opened.

"Well, if it isn't the birthday girl." Fiyero said as he swooped down and grabbed Raina. He tickled her and stepped aside so that Glinda could come in.

"You look very nice." He said as he placed an eager to explore Raina down in the living room.

"Why thank you Fiyero. I try, although it's getting harder to keep up my appearance now that she's up and running around. Enjoy your time with Liir while he's a baby. They grow up way to fast."

"Tee! Tee!" Raina called out while peeking around every corner trying to find Elphaba.

"Is that Raina I hear?" Elphaba questioned before stepping into view. She looked gorgeous in her dress. It was color Glinda had never seen her wear before, white. She was striking, the white drew out her green and she looked so, different.

Liir was in her arms sleeping and Elphaba carefully kneeled down to Raina.

"Liir doesn't Raina look beautiful? Look at her dress, she looks so grown up. She is going to be the loveliest little girl at the party." Elphaba kissed Raina's cheek and stood to join Glinda.

"Hey little man, you look so handsome." She took Liir from his mother and placed a bunch of kisses on his plump cheeks. The little boy looked a lot like his father, but he had Elphaba's seriousness.

His brunette hair was a bit shaggy, and it was starting to hang over his ears. His warm brown eyes held compassion and he was always alert. Glinda handed him back over to Elphaba as she went to go retrieve Raina from the kitchen.

"Come on Raina, you're going to be late to your own party. Bye Elphie, we'll see you in a little bit."

* * *

The turnout was about ten times greater than Glinda had expected. She was surprised at how many people had showed up to see her little girl.

Raina wasn't phased by the crowd, she was having fun just sitting at the table watching the performers juggle.

The music began playing and the chefs brought out a lovely little cake. They placed it in front of Raina. Glinda was terrified that Raina would get the cake all over her dress, but the little girl surprised her by her cautious approach.

She daintily placed her forefinger in the pink icing, and tasted the concoction. Then, she smiled mischievously and plowed her whole face into the cake.

"Oh well." Glinda laughed as she watched her little girl pig out.

Cake was in her nostrils and icing was in her curls, but Raina was having a good time despite her messy appearance.

Glinda heard someone cackle behind her and she turned around to see a familiar face.

"Wow, is this her first time eating sweets? She's attacking that cake like a ferocious animal would attack a carcass." Elphie laughed as she watched the little girl.

Elphaba was amazed at the child in front of her. She was so beautiful and at one, she already knew how to demand the attention of a crowd. Elphaba knew that she had inherited some of her mother's charm because the entire city of Oz couldn't help but dote on the little girl.

The happiness she felt was real. She knew for the first time in her life, she was finally getting to feel like everyone else. She was being able to experience joy that had come the first time she had gazed upon Liir's face.

But most of all, she reveled in the fact that she was no longer a shadow in the eyes of the citizens of Oz.

Elphaba was floating on a high that she was sure wouldn't be ending anytime soon, that was until she caught a glimpse of something.

It wasn't very noticeable to anyone else, but she would recognize those things anywhere. Even in the crowd, she found her eyes focusing on them. How, after all of this time, could those shoes still make her feel so obsolete?

She wanted to run and grab them from the woman, her sister, and run away laughing. Those shoes were no longer important, yet Elphie couldn't get her mind off of them. She knew she should talk to Nessa, but she had no intention of doing so.

She turned away from her past and instead went back to watching Glinda squirm out of the way of Raina's cake covered hands.

Elphaba couldn't help but jump when she felt a hand suddenly on her shoulder. Once again, the past reminded her that she could not escape without facing her problems. This problem was one that she had not wanted to confront, but was currently standing in front of her, wearing those shoes.


	12. Insane with Jealousy

Insane with Jealousy

The fire in her eyes burned with intensity as she glared at those shoes. Usually Elphaba didn't care about the uselessness of fashion, but there was something about those shoes.

There was a magnetic attraction that slowly pulled her closer until she felt like she simply had to reach out and caress them. She resisted only because she knew that she would look absolutely ridiculous bending down to touch the shoes of the woman in front of her.

Elphaba didn't just want those shoes, no; she deeply and desperately desired them.

She knew that she was insane for feeling such strong emotions over a pair of shoes, but she didn't know how to control the way she felt. Despite all the things she had: a lover, a child, and a best friend, she knew that those shoes were a symbol of something she would never obtain.

She had experienced many different types of love over the years: passion from Fiyero, unconditional love from Liir, and admiration from her best friend Glinda. 

Yet she had never felt love from her father. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be good enough for him, unlike Nessa who he had seen as perfect ever since her first breath outside of the womb.

Somehow those shoes held her father's compassion and once Elphie was wearing them, the compassion would belong to her.

Nessa clicked her heels together waking Elphaba from her daydream, "So you're back for good? How thoughtful you are. You faked your death, left me at Shiz all alone, and returned without even letting your dear sister know?"

"Nessa, I didn't let you know because I have been busy. I'm a mother now," at the mentioning of the word mother, Nessa clinched her jaw, "and I didn't want to be a nuisance to you or father."

Elphaba examined her sister carefully. She watched as the woman in front of her softly chewed on her bottom lip and tried to imagine the thought's running through Nessa's mind. 

She had never been close to Nessa, not in the normal way that sisters were close. Elphie had been more like a constant caregiver to her poor handicapped sister.

Behind her, she heard the shuffling of feet and she turned to see Liir's chubby little face. He was cradled in Fiyero's arms and she couldn't resist leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead.

As much as she wanted to remain hardened and uncaring, she felt her compassion beginning to surface once more. "Nessa, meet your nephew, Liir." Her caring and compassion disappeared as quickly as they had surfaced.

Elphaba was upset by the fact that Nessa hardly looked at him; she didn't even make any effort to examine the tiny person in front of her. How could Nessa let her feelings of anger effect Liir?

* * *

How could she flaunt her happiness? Elphaba's perfect family made Nessa insane with jealousy. 

She had only looked at him for a second, but it was long enough for her to realize that he was adorable. He looked a lot like Fiyero. She was a bit surprised to find that he hadn't inherited Elphaba's color, but he had gotten her serious stare and observant nature.

Fiyero looked happy too. He looked so natural standing there holding his child. Nessa couldn't believe how much had changed in her sister's life.

A lot had changed in her life as well. She had become the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland, she had power and authority that came with the title, yet one thing had not changed. 

No man wanted a woman who depended on a pair of shoes to help her to stand upright and lead a normal life. Nessa hadn't yet experienced the reciprocal feelings of love that came from a lover or a boyfriend. 

Staring into the black eyes of the woman in front of her, she knew she had to do something to even the score between them, but she wasn't sure what would do the trick. Hopefully something would come to her soon.

For all of her life, Nessa had always been the one that had made Elphaba jealous, now the roles had been reversed and Nessa was not pleased.

"You know what Elphaba, I'm glad you faked your death. You faking your death was the best thing that ever happened to me because it gave me a right to take over the role I was meant to fulfill. I am Eminent Thropp and people adore me. I have servants and the unnamed God has entrusted me with all of these responsibilities."

* * *

Elphaba felt her blood rushing to her face, she felt her fists ball up, and clamped down her jaw. She wanted nothing more than to punch her sister right in the mouth, and if she hadn't heard Liir cry, she would have done just that.

His high pitched shrill of a scream was one she had come to know very well. It was his most intense cry, one that had woken her up every couple of hours during the night. It was his hungry cry.

"Oh Liir, mother's right here. Sh, it's okay." She took him from Fiyero and placed her finger in his mouth, silencing his cries for a few seconds so that she could talk to Nessa.

"Nessa, I don't know what else to do. All of my life, I've been ridiculed and put down, and I was glad to be able to get rid of that for a while. 'Dying' was good for me too. I finally got a chance to be myself, to have a bit of freedom. I will not accept you charging back into my life, talking to me as if I'm some worthless piece of trash!" She was yelling now, but she didn't care. 

She saw Glinda out of the corner of her eye. She was sitting in a chair by Raina who was currently struggling with a giant bow on top of an equally giant present. Glinda stood to join the two sisters. 

Elphaba shook her head at Glinda, and mouthed the word "no." She didn't want the conflict to ruin Glinda's day as well.

Liir began to cry again. He was not satisfied being pacified by his mother's finger any longer. Elphaba softly bounced him, and kissed his cheeks.

"Nessa, I need to feed him. And I think we're quite done here." She started to march into the palace and heard footsteps behind her.

"Elphaba," Nessa cried out, "stop!"

Elphaba halted and turned towards her sister, "What Nessa? What could you possibly want?"

Nessa came to stand right in front of her, "I want so many things Elphaba. I want a husband, a child, happiness. You have what should be mine. We all thought you were going to end up all alone, yet you've done all that I was supposed to do. It's not fair and I will make sure that it doesn't last. You don't deserve all of this, you, you, green girl!" 

Nessa was shocked when she felt a terrible sting on her cheek. Elphaba had slapped her, it was the first time her sister had actually physically hurt her. 

"Nessa, I never want to see you again. I am over your little pleas for pity. You don't deserve pity from anyone." With that she turned and entered into the palace leaving a speechless and fuming Nessa outside.

* * *

She hadn't returned to the party after the incident, but she knew Glinda would understand. 

Several hours had passed, but Nessa's words were still fresh in her mind. She looked down at Liir as she fed him, his fat cheeks jiggled as he was eating and she stroked his hair. 

Elphaba had this strong sense of protective instincts as she held her son. She never wanted him to have to go through what she had. He deserved to have a happy childhood and to know that his parents loved him more than anything in the world.

She decided that she would tell him every chance she got that she loved him, starting now, "Liir, I love you. You are a strong soul and I know that one day you'll grow up to be an honorable man just like your father." 

She didn't know if he understood her or not, but she felt his tiny hand reach up and rest on her chest right where her heart was located.

She finished feeding him and decided she wanted to sing him a lullaby. She usually wasn't good at improvising, but these words poured directly from her heart, "Liir my love, I'll give you the world, the stars and the moon are yours to behold. Liir my love, you'll never know, how much joy that you've brought to me. Colors seem brighter and life seems complete, ever since the day that you came to me."

Fiyero watched Elphaba as she softly sang a lullaby to Liir. The moonlight streamed in from the window and danced across her skin.

She gave the baby a kiss and placed him in his crib. After one last kiss on his head, she walked towards the bed.

She let down her hair and Fiyero watched as it cascaded down her back like an inky waterfall. That hair entranced him and he loved how it framed her beautiful face. How had he been so lucky as to call her his own?

She slid into the bed and nuzzled up against him. He breathed in her scent, clove oil and a hint of lavender. 

He had missed this lately, just the two of them content in being in each other's arms. Elphie sighed and looked up into his eyes.

The sadness in those black moons pierced his soul and he knew that she was still upset about her earlier encounter with her sister. It hadn't gone well, and he knew that the hurtful words were probably running through her mind.

At this moment, he wished he could take away all of her pain and make her forget it all. Fiyero pulled her close and put his lips close to her ear.

"My Fae, I love you. You are my life and no matter what anyone says, you deserve every bit of happiness in the world."

He felt her tremble from the feeling of his lips being so close, yet not touching her. 

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled and let her pull his face close to hers. Elphaba kissed him deeply and he kissed her back with fervor.

She quickly relaxed into his arms. He loved it when she let go, because that meant that she felt comfortable with him. He felt so proud of her, his Fae. She was the strongest woman he knew and she had the ability overcome any obstacle she came up against.

He felt her tension melting away as he placed tender kisses on both of her cheeks and then returned to her green tinted lips. 

Elphaba was enjoying the sweet kisses that Fiyero was giving. She let his love wash over her, taking with it all of the events of the day. As their lips parted she ran her hand along his bare chest and rested it on his stomach. 

She felt her pulse speed up as he feathered kisses along her neck and collarbone, but then she felt the all too familiar burning sensation on her cheek as a tear escaped from her eye.

Fiyero had noticed her wince, and he quickly kissed away the pain. He held her close, wanting to feel her heart beating against his. He slowly ran his hands in circles on her back. When he was certain that she had fallen asleep, he allowed his own eyes to shut.

* * *

The room had been quiet for a while and at this late hour, she was sure that they would be asleep. She hoped that the door wouldn't make a horribly loud creaking sound when she opened it. The woman gently pushed the door open and was relieved when it didn't make a noise.

She made her way through the room as carefully and quietly as she could. She approached the bedroom door and slowly peered around the corner. 

She saw Elphaba and Fiyero asleep in the bed and gently tiptoed towards the crib. She looked down at the baby and almost abandoned her plan at the very instant she saw him.

He was sleeping soundly and she was scared to pick him up. She hadn't held many babies in her lifetime. She didn't exactly have the reputation of being good with children. Of course she had held Shell when he was younger, but that had been many years ago. 

She leaned down and placed one hand under his head to support his neck and the other under his little bottom. He was heavier than he looked. 

He didn't stir when she cradled him in her arms or when she placed a soft kiss on his head. He smelled like Elphaba's clove oil.

She felt the anger and jealousy beginning to resurface and she remembered her reason for coming to her sister's home in the first place. She wanted to make her life miserable and what better way than to get rid of the very thing that had brought her happiness. 

She reached into her pocket and removed her weapon. She slid the sheath from her blade with her teeth and held it up to the creature in her arms. 

"Let's see how happy you are now Elphaba." She whispered. 

As she raised the blade, the baby opened his eyes. He stared up at her and smiled. "Oh come on." She thought to herself. How was she supposed to kill him if he was looking right at her?

Then a thought hit her, why did she have to kill him? There were other ways to remove him from Elphaba's life. She could take him away.

She quickly gathered up his blanket and a couple of cloth diapers. She hadn't noticed that she had dropped her blade in the process.

With one last look at Elphaba, she walked out, carrying the tiny bundle in her arms.

* * *

The next morning, the entire palace was awakened by the most terrifying sound. Elphaba was frantically screaming as she found Liir's crib empty. Her son was missing and she was terrified. 


	13. Keep Up Your Strength

Keep up Your Strength

Glinda felt her blood pulse throughout her body as she sped down the hallway. She hadn't even bothered to change out of her night gown after hearing that her best friend was in trouble.

Now as she frantically made her way to Elphaba, passersby caught a glimpse of pink silk and tousled curls, and wondered where the beautiful Mrs. Glinda was headed to in such a hurry.

Glinda thought back to several minutes before. She had awakened to a gruesome scream. The sound had instantly caused a chill to come over her body.

There had been times before that Glinda had received a fright, but those feelings of surprise had subsided after a few seconds.

This time was different; the horrible feeling sunk into an endless pit in her stomach, and it was currently causing her to feel uneasy.

Without calling for a messenger to find out what exactly caused Elphaba's uncharacteristic outburst, Glinda decided to go to her best friend.

Now, as she was nearing Elphaba's suite, she was regretting the fact that she was going into this situation unprepared. For all she knew, she could be walking into a disaster zone.

* * *

Fiyero sat there. He was too shocked to speak, so instead he decided to comfort his love another way. He reached out and took her into his arms. He felt the familiar warmth of her body against his.

She was trembling and her cheeks were blistered from the tears that tumbled down her face. He noticed that she didn't wipe them away, and that could only mean one thing. She had stopped caring.

She no longer cared that the tears left raised sores on her face, that she was running out of breath, or that she was losing touch with reality.

He had to do something, so he did something she least expected. It was something that he knew had a way of bringing her focus around. He kissed her. Not just a small kiss, no, a deep kiss that drew her breath into her chest and took a little bit of his breath as well.

The usual excitement that came from their interaction was replaced by desolation. He could taste her sorrow and he sensed that she needed him to comfort her more.

Fiyero placed a tender kiss on her lips and then one on each of her swollen cheeks. He bit his lip to keep from crying when she looked up at him.

Her black orbs broke his heart, and he was sure that no matter how long he lived, he would never forget the way he felt in that moment. That last thought terrified him; her look wasn't something he wanted to remember. In fact, he wished that he had never witnessed it.

Desperation threatened to take him over, but he fought it with another ardent kiss. Her cries mixed in with his soft comforting words, "Sweet Fae. That's it, cry it out. Everything will be okay."

He was a hypocrite at this very moment. Here he was telling her not to worry all the while he was filled to the brim with his own concern. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her subside.

* * *

Fiyero smelled of sandalwood and she let his scent cloud her mind. She had grown to love that scent. It reminded her of tender moments consisting of stolen kisses while strolling along the gardens.

But mostly it reminded her of the times they had been close and the precious little boy that had been created from the powerful joining of their bodies.

Thinking about Liir was too much for her to handle right now, so she immediately began sobbing again. She was choking on her tears because they came too quickly and she wondered if that was what people meant by drowning in their sorrows.

Her cheeks were anesthetized from so many tears; it was as if the tears had burned right down into the nerve endings.

She had to get him back, she had to, or else she didn't know how she would go on. Without him, life would be over. Even Fiyero wouldn't be able to quell her grief.

Suddenly, an intense amount of pain made her hands shoot up to her cheeks. Fiyero reacted immediately by going to the bathroom to get her aloe oil.

He sat behind her and helped her to lay back. Her head rested on his lap and he warmed some of the aloe in his hands before gently applying it to her cheeks. The first little bit was painful, but his hands eased away the soreness.

* * *

Glinda finally arrived at Elphaba's door. She hesitated before reaching out to turn the handle. Then, after taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

She didn't see anyone. "Fiyero? Elphie?" She called out while walking further into the room. She spotted them and the sight made her apprehensive.

Elphie was lying on the floor, and Fiyero was rubbing oil onto her cheeks. She had an air of sadness around her and in that moment, it was as if she was just an empty shell.

The blonde ran to her best friend and knelt down on the floor, "Oh Oz, Elphie, what's wrong?" Glinda gasped when she saw the horribly burned cheeks.

No wonder Fiyero had gotten out the aloe oil; those burns were so awful and Glinda knew that they were extremely painful.

She hadn't experienced Elphaba like this before, instead of her usual mean green self, she looked, fragile.

"Elphie, what's wrong?" She asked again, practically pleading with her for an answer.

Elphaba couldn't respond; she simply reached over and took Glinda's hand.

Fiyero didn't look much better off than Elphie. His usually strong brow was furrowed and his eyes were unusually clouded.

"Okay, someone needs to tell me what's going on." She said looking desperately to Fiyero for a reply.

"Liir is gone." Fiyero managed to say, before hanging his head. It was as if he had finally admitted it and the horrible truth was upon him.

His tears came rapidly and he balled up his fists. Glinda stared at her two closest friends; they were devastated and understandably so. They had something very precious stolen from them and Glinda was determined to do whatever she had to in order to get him back.

Fiyero rose from the floor, angry at himself for letting his tears fall, and then even more upset because he was feeling guilty about crying. He was supposed to be the strong one yet here he was crying.

He went to the bathroom to compose himself and left the two women alone.

Glinda immediately wrapped her arms around Elphaba. It wasn't the first time they had ever embraced, but this time Elphaba held onto Glinda tight.

Glinda kissed Elphaba's forehead and began to rock her. It was what Ama Clutch used to do when Glinda was upset.

Glinda leaned back a little bit, and was shocked when her hand hit something cold. She turned to look at what she had touched.

It was a hunting knife that was elaborately carved and there were even a few rubies throughout the design.

She picked it up and handed it to Elphaba, "Fiyero must have dropped this."

Elphaba gasped, and jerked around to face Glinda, "That's not Fiyero's! That's, that's" she stood quickly with a fire in her eyes.

Then she growled through her teeth, "Nessa." She marched into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Glinda staring in disbelief.

* * *

Nessa sat in the middle of the meadow. She stretched out in a yawn and looked over at the sleeping baby beside her.

The huge branches of the tree that she leaned against shaded her from the sun and she figured it close to noon. She was exhausted from walking all night long and also worried that Liir was too demanding of her time.

He was crying every couple of hours, and she was running out of food for him. She had collected some milk from a cow when they first came to the meadow, but that had been several hours before.

Now the cow was no where in sight and there was only enough milk for about three more feedings.

Nessa reached out and stroked Liir's cheek. The baby made a sucking a noise as he turned his head to the direction of the contact.

The late night journey hadn't been easy. Nessa had to stop several times in order to make sure that no one was following her, but once she had escaped the Emerald City. She was able to be less paranoid.

This afternoon, she was starting to feel a little bit nervous again. She knew that Elphaba and Fiyero had awakened to find Liir gone, and there was no doubt that they would send people to find him.

She was nervous because she wasn't ready to give up her power yet. It felt great knowing that she was the only one who knew where Liir was and who controlled whether or not he would ever see his mother again.

Nessa gathered up the baby in her arms and nuzzled him.

She only wished she had stuck around to see Elphaba's world get turned upside down. How amusing would it have been to see her scurry around desperately begging for answers and searching for the little boy? Oh well, she could imagine the scenario in her mind and that was good enough for her; at least for now.

Nessa placed Liir back down on the grass and then stood to explore her surroundings. There was an overgrown patch of daisies only a few feet away and a tall apple tree as well. First she plucked a daisy and tucked it behind her ear, then, she grabbed an apple.

She shined it on her skirt, and then she took a generous bite. The juice ran down her face and she realized just how hungry she was. She devoured the apple in a few seconds and then tossed the core a few feet away.

The meadow was expansive and it would be several hours until she would be able to stop to rest again. She figured that she would travel into the thicker part that merged into forest, that way she could set up camp and try to find a more satisfying meal.

* * *

Elphaba paced back and forth in the tiny bathroom. Her hand throbbed from holding onto the knife so tightly. She couldn't believe that Nessa would do something like this.

Sure, she knew that her sister was selfish and extreme, but this was far beyond anything Elphaba would have ever thought she was capable of.

The green woman continued her repetitive walk from the door to the bathtub several times, until finally Fiyero grabbed a hold of her arm, "Fae, I know you don't think so now, but knowing that Nessa has Liir is good news. At least he's with someone we know instead of some crazed stranger."

Elphaba turned to look him in the eyes, "But that's just it, she is just some crazed stranger. I don't know her anymore. What kind of sane person would kidnap her own nephew? That doesn't exactly help to prove that she's a stable and trustworthy person.

Fiyero brushed her hair out of her eyes, "No matter what, I promise you I will find our son. I'll bring him back, and I promise that I will take care of Nessa."

"You don't have to promise me that, because I know you'll do anything to find him, but I really want to be the one to handle Nessa. I want to deal with her and take care of her myself." She said while taking his hands into hers.

She lightly brushed her fingertips against his and then placed an assuring kiss on his lips. His eyes were beginning to regain their trademark determinism, yet she could sense that he was upset about her telling him that she didn't want him to deal with Nessa.

Instead of dwelling on that last fact, she went to the door, but before she had a chance to open it, she felt two strong arms intercept her. One last kiss was thrust upon her lips before she set out to enlist the royal army in the search to find Liir.

* * *

The soldiers were all in top shape and decked out in their emerald uniforms. Glinda almost lost sight of Elphie, whom, when surrounded by the see of green, blended in quite well.

One man, who was dressed differently from all the rest, stepped forward and approached Elphaba. His stance was rigid and he had his arms stiff at his sides. His jacket was elaborately designed and had the seal of Oz in gold on his left side.

"On the behalf of the city of Oz, I vow to lead these soldiers on a search to find your child." He looked at his men and motioned for them to be at ease. The sudden movement was loud as the men stepped out and crossed their arms behind their backs.

"Thank you captain, uh, uh," Elphaba started but then stopped when she realized the man hadn't introduced himself.

"Ronan. I am the leader of this regiment." He motioned with his arm to show that he meant all of the 2,000 men.

"So Captain Ronan, what are you plans for the search?" Elphaba inquired.

"First we shall spread out in a circular pattern. We will search within the city, and after that, we will extend our hunt to the surrounding areas. Does this plan sound reasonable to you?"

"Very much so Captain. Thank you for your dedication and for volunteering to help." Elphaba said sincerely.

"Of course. I have a young son myself, and I know that I would expect nothing less if he were to be the one missing." The man stepped back and fell into line. His voice resounded as he called for his men to fall out.

"Wait!" Elphaba yelled and went after the captain, "please promise me that when you find them, don't let your men touch her. I am to be the one to deal with her. Do you understand?" She said in a question even though it was more a demand than anything else.

"It shall be done."

Fiyero was also suited up to march with the soldiers. He knew there was no way that he would stand by and do nothing while his son was missing. Liir was counting on him. Before he left, he embraced Elphaba.

They didn't kiss, for she wasn't a big fan of showing affection publicly. Instead he stroked her cheek and took a hold of her hands. This was enough to bring her a feeling of warmth and she allowed small smile to creep up on her lips.

Fiyero resisted the urge to join his smiling lips with hers and instead brushed back a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Bring him back Yero my hero." She whispered softly so only he could hear.

"You better believe it Fae." With that he placed a discreet kiss on her earlobe and marched off to join the men.

* * *

It had been a little over three hours since the soldiers headed out to scan the area for traces of Liir's whereabouts and Elphaba was growing anxious.

There wasn't a word yet about their progress or if they had found any helpful clues.

She paced back and forth in the usual way she did whenever she was worried about something. There were dolls scattered all over the floor and she had to be careful not to step on their little cloth hands and button-eyed faces.

There had to be close to a dozen of them. Some were on their backs, others were piled on top of each other, but they were all recently abandoned by Raina.

Raina had discovered that her mother was fixing some lunch in the kitchen, so she had scurried off to watch her.

Elphaba looked down at the forgotten dolls and felt her tears emerging. She wiped at them with the back of her sleeve and was happy when she successfully kept a rebellious tear from touching her already injured cheek.

The dolls were all about his size, and a couple of them wore outfits that he had outgrown. She bent down and picked up one that wore a yellow cardigan and black knit trousers. He had worn that the day of the annual Oz picnic.

She had called him her little bumblebee all day long, and the thought of the nickname caused a little chuckle to escape.

She stood there, not feeling anything for the doll, yet holding it exactly the way she would have held a real child. She simply ran her hand over the sweater, recalling that day when they were all together.

Suddenly she felt a small tug on her skirt, and she looked down to see a bouncy blonde staring back up at her. Raina outstretched her arms indicating that she wanted to be held and Elphaba lifted her up.

The little girl smiled, pleased to be held by her Auntie, or Tee, as she called her.

"Hello beautiful girl, Tee was wondering if she was going to get to hold you today. Were you helping mommy cook lunch?" Raina simply pointed to the direction of the kitchen.

"Oh, you want me to go in there? Okay, let's go see if lunch is finished." She shifted Raina onto her hip, and walked into the kitchen.

Glinda stood there with her hair pulled back into a bun, and wearing an apron. She arranged the food on the table and then lit a candle in the middle. The food looked so good, and Elphaba realized that she was starving.

She sat Raina down in her high chair, and then sat down to fix her own plate. She got mashed potatoes, salad, and a bit of steamed salmon. She went to take a bite, but then she dropped her fork.

Glinda was confused as to why she didn't take a bite, "Elphie, what's wrong? You don't like the salmon? I could cook something else."

"No, it's not that, the food looks and smells incredible, it's just, I feel bad for eating it."

Glinda moved closer so that she could take a hold of Elphaba's hands, "Elphie, its okay to eat. You won't be any good to Liir or Fiyero if you starve yourself. You have to keep up your strength."

Elphaba knew she was right. She took a bite of the salmon and began eating rapidly. She was shoveling in the salmon and potatoes at practically the same time.

Glinda smiled, she was glad to see that Elphie was still feeling well enough to devour her lunch. In fact, she recalled seeing Elphie eat quickly, during lunches at Shiz, consuming the food at a fast pace in order to do more important things.

Meanwhile Raina smeared her potatoes on every surface within her reach and discovered that they made a really fun hair decoration. By the time lunch was over, Raina was a mess.

"I better give this little mashed potato artist a bath." Glinda giggled as she lifted the little girl from her high chair and stripped off her food covered clothes. She was wearing only a little cloth diaper and Glinda tickled her belly as they walked off.

Elphaba wiped her mouth and went to the sink. She spook out loud, "Fiyero, please let me know something. Not knowing is killing me, and I can't stand the suspense."

* * *

Fiyero wiped the sweat from his brow and looked over at Ronan. The captain was stone-faced and focused on his surroundings. Fiyero was getting frustrated until he spotted something up ahead.

There was a discarded apple core, and an area of grass was disturbed. It was obvious that someone had passed through the usually deserted area.

Ronan commanded the soldiers to spread out and search for Nessa, the men did as they were told and soon they almost all disappeared.

Fiyero took out a piece of parchment paper, and scribbled a little note. He handed it to one of the men and told him to take it to Elphaba. The man jumped on the back of his horse and galloped back towards the city.

It wasn't much, but he knew that she would be anxious and he knew that this small clue would help to calm her a little bit.

There was a knock at the door and Glinda got up to answer it. She came back a few seconds later with a note and handed it to Elphie.

Elphaba took the note into her shaky hands and tried to unfold it. She was terrified that inside the message would be her worst nightmare. She peeled back the parchment and spotted Fiyero's penmanship.

It was short, but thank goodness, it wasn't what she had feared:

_Found some clues. We're checking the area now. Please don't worry. Just think about how much of a relief it will be when I come home with Liir. I can't wait to be with you again, I already miss your touch. Promise me that you'll stay safe._

_Love, Your Yero_

Elphaba put the paper to her lips and then placed it in her pocket, "They found some clues, he didn't say what, but it must be promising if he decided to write me a note to tell me about it."

"That's good news. Well now that you've heard from him, you can probably sleep for a little while. I'll stay up and wait for more word. I promise to wake you the instant I hear any more news." Glinda said as she realized that Elphaba was yawning and her eyes were extremely heavy.

"I'll sleep after Fiyero returns with Liir." She answered, then cursed at herself under her breath when a yawn slipped out.

"Elphie, please try."

"Glinda, you are my best friend, but right now, please don't argue with me. If it was Raina missing, do you think you could simply go to sleep?"

Glinda looked towards the direction where Raina slept soundly in her bed, "You're right, I wouldn't be able to. I'm sorry Elphie, I won't mention it again."

"Thank you for caring about me Glinda. I really appreciate all of your support during this." Elphaba said even though it was out of character for her to ever admit that kind of thing out loud.

"Elphie, I love you. You are the closest thing I've ever had to a sister. I'm so sorry that this is happening to you, but I know that it will all work out in the end and you will get through it. Any minute now Fiyero's going to come through that door carrying that pudgy little boy of yours."

Elphaba watched the door and hoped that it would fling open.

* * *

Nessa sat back against a hollowed out log. Her shoulders were burning and her feet were aching. Liir was asleep so she placed him on the ground in front of her. She rested her eyes for a second, and allowed the darkness to close in.

Ronan was the first to spot Nessa and Liir. He motioned for Fiyero to follow him, and the two men quietly sauntered over to the place where Nessa was currently sleeping. Fiyero reached down and took Liir into his arms, but panicked when he saw Ronan reach for his gun.

He quickly stepped in front of Nessa and Ronan put his gun down, "I didn't think you were going to go along with her orders. We must take care of her ourselves."

"No, I made a promise to Elphaba, and for as long as I live, I will never break my word to her."

Fiyero handed the baby to the captain and crept up on Nessa. She looked so peaceful, and for a moment, he saw an uncanny resemblance to Elphaba. The way she had her arms crossed across her chest and the way she puckered her lips was exactly the way Elphaba slept.

He decided not to waste anymore time so he reached out and covered her mouth with his hand.

Her eyes flew open and she started flailing her arms about. He grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet.

"It's over Nessa. We have Liir and now I'm taking you back to Elphaba."

She didn't protest, she simply laughed. It was a loud hearty laugh that made Fiyero uneasy.

He took Liir back from the captain and placed a huge kiss on his forehead. He was burning up.

"Nessa, what did you do to him?" Fiyero screamed.

"Nothing. I've been taking very good care of him. Probably better than Elphaba does." She smirked.

"Take her away. Put her on the back of the horse with Captain Ronan, and I'll ride with Lex." He pointed to a red-haired man sitting atop a horse. The men quickly travelled back to the Emerald City, not stopping to let the horses have a rest.

Fiyero grew more worried every second he looked down at Liir. The little baby was hardly moving and his temperature was rising.

They stopped in the courtyard, and he looked up to see Elphaba and Glinda sitting on the balcony. Elphaba ran down the stairs to get to them.

In only a matter of seconds she was standing there taking Liir from Fiyero. "Oh no, he's burning up." She kissed the baby's forehead. She looked worried.

Elphaba held Liir up and examined him for any bruises or signs that he was hurt. When she was satisfied that he wasn't wounded, she pulled him close.

"Glinda, call for the doctor immediately."

She kissed Liir and handed him back to Fiyero.

She then approached her sister. That woman, she was infuriating. Elphaba raised her left hand and slapped her sister. Then she repeated the act with her right hand.

Hand prints were beginning to appear on Nessa's cheeks. She looked genuinely surprised that her sister had struck her.

"I can't believe you! You, you. Ugh!" Elphaba was livid. Her fists were balled up at her sides and Nessa was just waiting for those fists to connect with her face.

Elphaba grabbed Nessa's hair and pulled her down to the ground. She ripped out a handful of strands in the process and tossed them to the side.

She wanted to hurt her, to make her suffer. She wanted revenge. She took her pulled her back up, realizing that it was easier to deal with her face to face. She grabbed her by the throat and tightened her grip. Nessa gurgled and tried to remove Elphaba's hands.

Elphaba didn't care that Nessa was beginning to turn purple; she wanted to be rid of her. She watched as Nessa's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and felt her fall to the ground. Nessa didn't get up.


	14. Gravity

Gravity

"_Nessa, get up!" Elphaba yelled at her sister, "come on, this isn't funny. Father isn't going to be happy with me if we are late to dinner. Please get up. I promise not to ignore you again."_

_Nessa didn't budge and Elphaba huffed loudly. She grabbed her sister's wrists and pulled her from her current position. She lost her balance slightly, and almost fell to the ground. This made Nessa giggle and made Elphaba clench her jaw._

_She wanted so much to let her sister fall. In fact, she loosened her grip just a little bit, which caused Nessa to slip closer to the ground. _

"_Elphaba be careful, you're not holding on to me tight enough. I feel like I'm about to plummet to my death." She stated melodramatically._

"_One could only wish." Elphaba muttered under her breath._

_She finally managed to maneuver Nessa back into her chair. She quickly propelled her across the land all the way back to the cottage. Frex was standing outside, he was cross and Elphaba prepared herself for the wrath that he was about to lay upon her. _

"_Elphaba, why did you keep your sister out so late? She is frail and she needs to have her nourishment. I knew I shouldn't have let you take her out on your own. You never do anything right. Go inside and wash her up, then you can go to bed. I can't believe it, you're almost 16 years old, and yet you can't do a simple task like getting your sister back on time." He scowled at her, and then softened his face as he knelt down to talk to Nessa._

"_Poor little girl. I'm sorry that Elphaba kept you from your dinner. Just for that, I'll tell Nanny to give you an extra dessert. It's Munchkin berry pie, your favorite."He leaned down and kissed her forehead._

_At that moment, Elphaba wished that she could hurt her sister. She had never felt this way before and the new feeling terrified her, but at the same time, it was exhilarating. She glared over at them, her so called "family."It was then that she knew she would never be like them, nor would she ever want to be._

Now, as she stood over her sister's motionless body, she felt that same familiar exhilaration. Her breath came in quick shallow spurts and her lip twitched.

She felt strangely removed from the situation, but she was brought back to reality when she heard a small gasp.

Nessa started to stir, and at first, Elphaba was surprised to see that she had come back to life. Then she realized that she hadn't been dead at all, no, she had just passed out.

The pathetic creature at her feet deserved no sympathy, yet when she looked up, with that all too familiar look of desperation on her face, Elphaba felt her heart tear into pieces.

She knelt by her sister's side and examined the purple handprints that encircled her neck. Her hands had done that, she had actually tried to murder her sister.

The gravity of the situation fell all at once and landed right on Elphaba's shoulders.

Of course everyone would understand. They would say, "Oh Elphaba, it is alright. She took your child, you were under distress. We would never blame you for your behavior in this situation."

But it wasn't just the situation; she had felt this way before. This was just the first time that she had acted on her feelings.

She reached out to touch her sister's face. At the closeness, Nessa recoiled. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was flushed. Elphaba took note of her sister's appearance and realized that she would be okay.

Captain Ronan approached Elphaba because he did not want to waste anymore time in dealing with the fugitive woman.

"Ms. Elphaba, what shall I do with her? I can take her away to be executed or, if you want, I can let you be the one to deal with her. It seems as though you are quite capable."

He stood silently waiting for a reply. He examined the green woman in front of him. He noticed her furrowed brow and her pursed lips.

He also noticed that she did not want to have her sister executed, but he wanted her to say it, as if confessing it would forgive her for her earlier outburst.

Those green lips parted and then her voice escaped, softly and shakily, "Let her go."

At her words the soldiers stepped back and took their hands off of her. They looked to their captain for instructions and when he waved them away, they marched.

"Thank you for fulfilling your duty Captain Ronan. And thank you for bringing home my son. For that I will be forever indebted to you." Elphaba proclaimed as she grabbed unto the Captain's sleeve.

"Ms. Elphaba, consider your debt settled. I was only doing my duty. Although I do ask that you do one thing for me. Please promise me you'll think about your next move, whatever you decide to do to her, just think about it first. I wouldn't want to see a girl like you ruined by an act of vengeance. Please, just, think about it." It was a request, but she felt more like he was pleading with her.

"I will. I promise." She answered even though she wasn't sure if she could stay true to her word.

He turned from her and joined his men. Elphaba stared down at her sister. She was a pathetic excuse of a woman. Her face was stained with tears and her clothes were tainted by the filth of the wilderness.

She jerked her up by wrists and helped to steady her. She dusted off her shoulders and for a second, she rested her hand on the dirt smeared cheek.

"Nessa leave and don't come back. Take the path through the cornfield and follow wherever it leads. Just don't come back here because I promise if I ever see you again, I'll…I'll, well just believe me, I won't be happy and neither will you." She backed away and watched her sister stare at her.

No sense of regret or remorse was found on her face. The only thing that Elphaba could make out was a hint of happiness, Nessa was glad that Elphaba had spared her life.

Elphaba turned her back on her sister; she didn't look at her walk away. Instead, she ran to Fiyero. She took the tiny baby from his arms, and she kissed him all over. He was feverish and she remembered that they had called for the doctor.

"Is the doctor on his way?" Elphaba asked as she gently rocked Liir in her arms. His color wasn't good, he was a bit pale, and his skin felt clammy.

Glinda nodded and approached her. She wrapped her arms around her friend being careful because Liir was in between them. Instantly, she began crying into Elphaba's shoulder. Her tears soaked into the fabric of Elphaba's dress and threatened to reach the allergic skin beneath.

Elphaba broke from the embrace only long enough to hand Liir to Fiyero. With her arms free, she grabbed onto her friend. Holding her so tightly, she feared that the blonde wouldn't be able to breathe.

Glinda responded to the tight grip and let herself relax into Elphaba's arms. Elphaba didn't know what exactly had caused the sudden outburst from her friend, but she was surprisingly relieved. It was as if Glinda was crying for her.

She pulled back to look into Glinda's puffy red face and she used her sleeve to wipe away the tears. She placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and smiled at her best friend.

No, they were no longer just friends, they were sisters. Blood ties weren't as strong as the bond that these two women shared and perhaps the lack of blood ties was what made them so close.

Their embrace was cut short when they heard a carriage approaching. The horses came to a sudden halt and as the dust settled around the emerging passenger, Elphaba felt panic set back in.

It was Dr. Wistar. The older man wore his grey hair like a badge of honor and his wrinkles were a testament to his years devoted to the medical field. His face was serious as he approached his tiny patient.

"Ms. Elphaba, how about we do the examination inside." They headed inside the palace and went into the parlor. Elphaba got down on her knees and placed Liir on the ottoman.

He was sleeping, but it seemed as if his breathing was a bit labored. His tiny chest almost collapsed after every breath. Dr. Wistar listened to Liir's heartbeat and then he took out a tiny vial.

"Ms. Elphaba, I need to take a blood sample. This is going to be quite painful for him and I'm sure it won't be easy for you to watch, so if you want to step out of the room you can." He sterilized the monstrous needle and waited for Elphaba to respond.

"No, I won't leave him. I'll stay and comfort him. He needs me right now." She leaned over and took a hold of his tiny feet. She felt sick to her stomach and tried to prepare herself for what was about to happen.

Dr. Wistar took Liir's arm into his hands and gently inserted the needle. The baby stirred from his sleep and pouted his lips. Through his pout came a squeal and a strong cry. Liir's eyes were wide and he was confused as to what was going on.

He looked so pitiful and his little face broke Elphaba's heart. "Poor baby, mommy is so sorry." She soothed as she sat there unable to help him.

She kissed him and rubbed his belly until he began to settle down a little. She wanted to take away his pain and she knew that she didn't want to ever hear him cry like that again.

The doctor went to his bag and removed a bunch of different vials. Elphaba hadn't seen so many vials since she had been in chemistry class at Shiz. She recognized some of the names and she was curious as to what he was going to do with the chemicals.

He dripped a small drop of blood on several different microscope slides and then combined each drop of blood with a different chemical.

Elphaba remembered that this was the way that she had learned how to test reactivity between two different elements.

He observed the several slides and walked back and forth trying to see if anything had reacted. Then he stopped. He slowly picked up one of the slides and then sat it back down again. He did the same with the next three slides.

He wrote something down on a piece of parchment, and then he opened up a book and flipped through its worn pages. He stopped on a page and examined the written words. He grabbed something from his bag.

It was a sapphire stained glass bottle and he gently shook the contents before extracting a couple of drops of the liquid. He placed the dropper over Liir's mouth, which was currently wide open because he was crying, and let 3 drops escape.

The baby ceased his crying for a few seconds, stunned by the droplets of liquid, and then he picked up his crying again. Elphaba reached down and scooped him up. She whispered in his ear and bounced him in her arms.

His head rested on her shoulder and he finally stopped crying. He had simply worn himself out.

"He is very sick Ms. Elphaba. He tested positive for a few infections. I am not going to sugar coat this, because there is no need. There is a chance that he may not make it."

* * *

Nessa walked slowly, she was despondent and still nursing the wounds that she had received only a little while earlier. She navigated through the corn field and noticed that the sky was getting clouded.

The wind also picked up and whipped her hair into her face. She continued walking, pushing through the pain and through the thick plants in front of her. She didn't see what was coming, how could she? She was looking straight ahead and the object fell from above.

Witnesses were to say that it was the most bizarre event they had ever witnessed. The crowd quickly gathered, and an effort was made to move the object even though they knew already that it was too late.


End file.
